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.

Bhairvee Shavdia, Job Quality Fellow
Blog Posts Longform

Bhairvee Shavdia, Job Quality Fellow

High-quality jobs are key to a company’s success.

Eric Weaver, Job Quality Fellow
Blog Posts Longform

Eric Weaver, Job Quality Fellow

Access to capital can be a barrier to business ownership, but organizations with a focus on equity are working to change this.

Tailor working in his shop
Blog Posts

Capital Works for Job Quality

How can capital deployment promote quality jobs?

Tomás Durán, Job Quality Fellow
Blog Posts Longform

Tomás Durán, Job Quality Fellow

Through employee ownership, Concerned Capital is working to save and grow quality jobs.

Smiling woman on computer
Blog Posts

Salesforce Pledges to Upskill 500,000 Workers

Through Salesforce’s free online learning platform, anyone can acquire the in-demand tech skills needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

UpSkill America Director Jaime Fall
Blog Posts Podcasts

Podcast: Providing Opportunity Onramps Through Upskilling

As the labor market tightens, upskilling can help people move into better jobs and help companies create a stronger workforce.

Paid Leave: A Modern Benefit for Today’s Workforce
Blog Posts

Paid Leave: A Modern Benefit for Today’s Workforce

Providing more workers with access to adequate paid family and medical leave is one way to help meet the evolving needs of workers, while also recognizing the importance of caregiving work.

Tai Cooper (New Jersey Economic Development Authority) speaks at our event, "Opportunity Zones and the Challenge of Addressing Our Economic Divides."
Blog Posts

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

Learn how the Economic Opportunities Program is helping people connect to and thrive in a changing economy.

Cutout silhouettes of missing women
Blog Posts

Is America Missing 2.5 Million Women Workers?

A labor market unwelcoming to women leaves our economy deprived of talent and our society diminished.

Garfield Park Neighborhood Market (Photo credit: Qa'bah Rahsan with Garfield Park Community Council)
Blog Posts

Cooking Up New Businesses in The Hatchery

Many food entrepreneurs have the skills to succeed. This incubator gives them the resources to grow.

Man standing on a mountain, staring toward another mountain
Blog Posts

Now is the Time to Start Upskilling your Workforce

For companies that want to remain competitive, upskilling should be a number one priority.

Companies Lure Workers With (Nearly) Free College Tuition
Blog Posts

Companies Lure Workers With (Nearly) Free College Tuition

Low-cost college degrees offer obvious advantages to workers, and companies are betting they’ll benefit too.

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