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.

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Blog Posts

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

Can we see a future where the workforce development field is more reflective of the change it seeks to cultivate?

Job Quality Newsletter – Protecting and Advancing Workers’ Rights
Blog Posts

Job Quality Newsletter – Protecting and Advancing Workers’ Rights

This month’s Job Quality Newsletter delves into the challenges and opportunities of protecting workers in today’s economy.

Five Questions with a Workforce Leader: Holly Kurtz, Center for the Future of Arizona
Blog Posts

Five Questions with a Workforce Leader: Holly Kurtz, Center for the Future of Arizona

“My passion has always been leadership development. My experience tells me that changes in a system start with leadership, and the workforce development ecosystem is ripe for innovative changes at all levels.”

Resource Roundup: What we are reading, July 2024
Blog Posts
AI and the Future of Work(ers)
Blog Posts

AI and the Future of Work(ers)

Algorithms are influencing decisions about hiring, firing, and worker management, yet there is rarely transparency and accountability around these decisions.

Looking Back on the “Future of Work” (And What’s Next)
Blog Posts

Looking Back on the “Future of Work” (And What’s Next)

One thing that we have long said remains true: the future is not inevitable. Our choices — in business, in policy, and in civil society — shape the economy, the workforce, and the lives and livelihoods of people across the country and around the world.

Job Quality Fellow Saket Soni Awarded 2024 McNulty Prize
Blog Posts
Job Quality Newsletter — Fostering Worker Voice for Better Job Quality
Blog Posts

Job Quality Newsletter — Fostering Worker Voice for Better Job Quality

This month’s Job Quality Newsletter explores the power of worker’s voice —  the essential mechanism enabling employees to express ideas and concerns, which empowers organizations to gather insights, address risks, improve performance, and create better jobs.

Education and Career Mobility Fellowship Program Overview Update: 2024-25
Blog Posts

Education and Career Mobility Fellowship Program Overview Update: 2024-25

By investing in and supporting early- and mid- career professionals, we invest in and support the long-term health and growth of this movement that is transforming lives while creating business value.

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