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.

Economic Opportunities Program Newsletter, October 2020
Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Newsletter, October 2020

The COVID-19 crisis brings new urgency to our work to improve jobs, expand business ownership, and advance economic opportunity.

Woman wearing protective mask in airport
Blog Posts

Young Workers Hit Hard By COVID

Now more than ever, young people need connections to good fit employment opportunities.

Enhancing Conversations Between Employers and Workforce Professionals
Blog Posts

Enhancing Conversations Between Employers and Workforce Professionals

Many young people need job and training opportunities. How do workforce professionals talk about these issues with employers?

Closeup photo of a domestic worker holding someone's hand
Blog Posts

The peril of America’s domestic workers

Domestic workers keep our homes and families safe. Let’s do the same for them.

Economic Opportunities Program Newsletter, September 2020
Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Newsletter, September 2020

The COVID-19 crisis brings new urgency to our work to improve jobs, expand business ownership, and advance economic opportunity.

Father and son in masks walking to school
Blog Posts

What the Pandemic Has Revealed About the Role of Schools

Once we understand the part that schools play in society, we can have a conversation about what they need to be doing now.

This Labor Day Let’s Reinvent Essential Work
Blog Posts

This Labor Day Let’s Reinvent Essential Work

While a tiny virus upended our daily lives, essential workers continued to meet the needs of others despite the risks and burdens.

Photos of Van Ton-Quinlivan and Jaime Fall alongside the text: "WorkforceRx with Futuro Health. Podcast Episode 1: Invest in a Culture of Learning. Our guest: Jaime S. Fall, Director, UpSkill America, The Aspen Institute"
Blog Posts Podcasts

Jaime Fall Talks Upskilling on “WorkforceRx” Podcast

What does the pandemic mean for the upskilling movement?

Written Statement of Joyce Klein to the Community Development Advisory Board
Blog Posts

Written Statement of Joyce Klein to the Community Development Advisory Board

If we want to reach entrepreneurs of color, we need to ensure that programs and products run through the institutions that serve them.

Logo for Hormel Foods' Inspired Pathways program
Blog Posts

Upskilling in the News: Hormel Foods Offers College Degrees to Children of Employees

Hormel Foods’ Inspired Pathways program is partnering with local community colleges to give employees’ children a free education.

Economic Opportunities Program Newsletter, August 2020
Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Newsletter, August 2020

The COVID-19 crisis brings new urgency to our work to improve jobs, expand business ownership, and advance economic opportunity.

Unemployment Isn’t Too High — Regular Wages Are Too Low
Blog Posts

Unemployment Isn’t Too High — Regular Wages Are Too Low

Congress needs to open its eyes to the pandemic of poverty wage work, stop abetting it, and start promoting the kind of work that makes a good life possible.

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