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.

Panelists at "Opportunity in America: What Does It Mean?" (October 25, The Aspen Institute)
Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Newsletter, October 2019

Learn how we’re helping low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

Pacific Community Ventures Releases Good Jobs, Good Business Online Toolkit
Blog Posts

Pacific Community Ventures Releases Good Jobs, Good Business Online Toolkit

Many business owners may understand the value of good jobs, but need practical resources to improve stability and mobility for workers.

Retail Mimi and Red clothing boutique North Park
Blog Posts

San Diego Workforce Partnership Launches New Retail Research Website

The San Diego Workforce Partnership launched a new website to share resources developed for Reimagine Retail.

Choosing an Inclusive Economy
Blog Posts

Choosing an Inclusive Economy

Aspen Institute President and CEO Dan Porterfield delivered welcoming remarks during the Opportunity in America conversation series hosted by the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program on October 25, 2019.

Chipotle Offers Debt-Free Degrees to Employees
Blog Posts

Chipotle Offers Debt-Free Degrees to Employees

Chipotle is covering 100% of tuition costs for 75 different types of business and technology degrees.

Steven Greenhouse
Blog Posts

What’s new at the Economic Opportunities Program, September 2019

Learn how we’re helping low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

Pharmacy associate assisting customer
Blog Posts

Walmart Adds Healthcare to $1 a Day College Program

Time for an upskilling checkup? Walmart just added new healthcare fields to its $1 a day college program.

DC Central Kitchen Go-Team participants take part in the Culinary Job Training program
Blog Posts

Cost of Turnover Tool: Experiences from the Field

Learn how two organizations are using the Cost of Turnover Tool to strengthen job quality and boost employee retention.

A "closing sale" sign stands outside one of the last few open stores at the Schuylkill Mall in Frackville, Pennsylvania. The mall closed in 2018.
Blog Posts

Joyce Klein Talks Entrepreneurship on Marketplace

Despite the recovery, entrepreneurship has stalled. What’s holding it back? Joyce Klein outlines some key factors.

Child on a scooter wearing an American flag as a cape
Blog Posts

What kind of future of work will we choose for America’s working families?

We need to work toward a common goal of good jobs. Here is what’s at stake for working families.

What’s new at the Economic Opportunities Program, August 2019
Blog Posts

What’s new at the Economic Opportunities Program, August 2019

Learn how we’re helping low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

Working Scholar graduate celebrates in front of the Study.com logo
Blog Posts

A Summer of Upskilling

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