The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

We recognize that race, gender, and place intersect with and intensify the challenge of economic inequality and we address these dynamics by advancing an inclusive vision of economic justice. For over 25 years, EOP has focused on expanding individuals’ opportunities to connect to quality work, start businesses, and build economic stability that provides the freedom to pursue opportunity.

We collaborate with national and local leaders across the United States – nonprofit leaders, policymakers, labor leaders, business leaders, educators, academics, and more – and we actively seek input and ideas from individuals and communities affected by proposed approaches to address economic opportunity challenges. Through our leadership and fellowship programs; applied research and evaluation; data and analysis; and dialogue with diverse stakeholders, we work at both local and national levels to build understanding and galvanize action to address the challenge of economic opportunity in America.

Join our mailing list and follow us on social media for regular updates on our work.

Voting for the Future of Work
Blog Posts

Voting for the Future of Work

On this Election Day, we reflect on the pressing issues that resonate with voters: the economy, job creation, and the overall quality of work in this country.

All Learning Counts: Why Data Mobility Is the Key to Skills-Based Talent Management
Blog Posts

All Learning Counts: Why Data Mobility Is the Key to Skills-Based Talent Management

We share a vision for the future where data mobility has unlocked a truly agile system of work and learning, a system that reflects the changing profile of the workforce — where generations want a flexible approach to career development.

Upcoming Events Newsletter — November 2024
Blog Posts

Upcoming Events Newsletter — November 2024

Let’s Talk: Learning About AI Through Art
Blog Posts

Let’s Talk: Learning About AI Through Art

“One thing I hope people leave with is the notion that AI, whatever it is, is not something that we can ignore,” Trotta commented. “It will be a part of lives, whatever you do, whoever you are. AI is about us all.

Creating Space to Accelerate Solution Development
Blog Posts
Job Quality Newsletter – Democracy at Work
Blog Posts
Shoes To Walk the Talk: Four Steps for Workforce Systems to Advance Our Own Workforce
Blog Posts

Shoes To Walk the Talk: Four Steps for Workforce Systems to Advance Our Own Workforce

Here, we offer four strategies workforce professionals can use to cobble together shoes so that they can walk the talk.

BOI and the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (Newsletter)
Blog Posts

BOI and the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (Newsletter)

At the beginning of this year, the Aspen Institute’s Business Ownership Initiative joined the Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE), a national effort to expand access to capital for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

About the Economic Opportunities Program

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

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More from the Economic Opportunities Program

Foundational Skills: National Survey Findings
Publications

Foundational Skills: National Survey Findings

This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.

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Podcasts Videos

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

This conversation is part of our Opportunity in America series, where we take a look at the economy, what’s working, what’s broken, and really how we fix it to make sure that everyone can succeed in today’s economy.

Resource Roundup: Wages and Affordability
Blog Posts
Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis
Publications

Room for Growth: A Survey of Upskilling Approaches — 2026 Analysis

This publication examines how fragmented skills, credentialing, and workforce data systems limit the potential of skills-based hiring and advancement, and outlines a shared vision for building the interoperable infrastructure needed to create a connected skills ecosystem that benefits workers, employers, educators, and governments.

Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy Grimes
Podcasts Videos

Building Economic Security: A Book Talk with Arindrajit Dube and Carrie Joy Grimes

Economic security shouldn’t be a lottery. Yet for millions of working families, stagnant wages and precarious jobs collide with the daily grind of managing money on shaky ground — leaving stability feeling less like a plan and more like a gamble. Fixing that takes more than one lever. It takes structural reform and the tools people need to take control of their financial lives, working together.

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers
Publications

What Employee Ownership Means to Workers

Insights from Focus Groups with Employee Owners