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.

Gig Worker Learning Project Update
Blog Posts

Latest From Our Gig Worker Learning Project

Most research doesn’t paint a full picture of gig workers or the challenges they face. Here’s what we’re doing to fill in the gaps.

Job Quality Newsletter — Special Labor Day Edition
Blog Posts

Job Quality Newsletter — Special Labor Day Edition

Few years have presented us with such a varied and complex menagerie of issues as the ones we face this Labor Day.

Making Labor Day Count for Workers
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Making Labor Day Count for Workers

To find out if our economy is working for working people, we need more complete data — and better questions about the data we already have.

The Cobbler’s Children Have No Shoes: Why Workforce Professionals Need Their Own Good Jobs Strategy
Blog Posts

The Cobbler’s Children Have No Shoes: Why Workforce Professionals Need Their Own Good Jobs Strategy

Despite their focus on job quality, workforce staff often endure bad jobs themselves. In other words, “The cobbler’s children have no shoes.”

The Future of Work: What Does It Mean To Have a Good Job?
Blog Posts
Why this Labor Day Is different
Blog Posts

Why this Labor Day Is different

Workers across a wide breadth of sectors are striking for increased wages — but also for dignity, equity, and a say in how new technologies are deployed.√

This VC believes in Unions. Can he convince the rest of corporate America to join him?
Blog Posts

This VC believes in Unions. Can he convince the rest of corporate America to join him?

Roundtable chair Roy Bahat is trying to build a bridge between worker movements and the corporate leaders whose first instinct is to squash them.

Employee Ownership and ESOPs: What We Know from Recent Research
Blog Posts
Meet the CEO of the first U.S. bank to unionize in 40 years
Blog Posts

Meet the CEO of the first U.S. bank to unionize in 40 years

The CEO of the first U.S. bank to unionize in 40 years: ‘We are living proof that the employee-versus-management dynamic doesn’t need to exist’

Job Quality Newsletter — Gig Work and Good Jobs
Blog Posts

Job Quality Newsletter — Gig Work and Good Jobs

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