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.

The second cohort of Job Quality Fellows meet at the Aspen Institute for their second convening in March 2019
Blog Posts

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

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

Employer Tools to Advance the Upskilling Movement
Blog Posts

Employer Tools to Advance the Upskilling Movement

These tools can help employers take specific actions important to implementing successful upskilling programs.

Employee writes hours on a time sheet
Blog Posts

Schedule Stability: A Win for Retail Businesses and Their Workers

Scheduling has a big impact on sales, productivity, and health.

Young people meeting around a conference table
Blog Posts

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

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

Tuition Assistance Policy Discussion: Roadmap to a Skilled and Educated Workforce
Blog Posts

Tuition Assistance Policy Discussion: Roadmap to a Skilled and Educated Workforce

Tuition assistance can be an effective tool to upskill employees.

Jenny Weissbourd and Brad Clark
Blog Posts

Breakthroughs from the Field: Learning to Support the Retail Workforce

Organizations across the country are working to promote stability and mobility for retail workers.

Economic charts and indicators superimposed on an American flag
Blog Posts

The State of Our Economy – Extending Opportunity Requires Boosting Job Quality

Improving job quality is an essential ingredient to strengthening our union.

Automotive apprentice working on a car
Blog Posts

Towards Equity in Apprenticeship

By extending skills to diverse, disadvantaged, and nontraditional workers, apprenticeship becomes a force for equity.

FIELD Highlights from 2018
Blog Posts

FIELD Highlights from 2018

2018 was a year of broad work for FIELD, as we collaborated with leaders across the field to better understand and address the challenges that small business owners face.

Accessing the Network of Local Upskilling and Related Resources Available to Support Your Business
Blog Posts

Accessing the Network of Local Upskilling and Related Resources Available to Support Your Business

Workforce Development Boards can help you attract and retain the skilled employees that your business needs.

Advancing Economic Opportunity in the New Year – Building on the Work of 2018
Blog Posts

Advancing Economic Opportunity in the New Year – Building on the Work of 2018

Let’s continue finding new ways to work together to address a shared concern for the crisis of economic opportunity facing many Americans.

Walmart employee setting up a store display. (Photo: Timothy Fadek/Bloomberg News)
Blog Posts

Now Hiring, With Attractive New Perk: Free College Degree

In a tight labor market, upskilling is a smart investment.

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