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.

An Autumn Update on Upskilling
Blog Posts

An Autumn Update on Upskilling

Flashlight shining on dollar sign
Blog Posts

We need transparency and fairness in small business lending

Predatory lending can shut down businesses, harm communities, and ruin lives. Let’s guard entrepreneurs against predatory practices.

Good Food Requires Good Jobs
Blog Posts

Good Food Requires Good Jobs

How can consumers encourage better working conditions for the people behind our groceries?

Fortune Favors the Bold
Blog Posts Podcasts

Podcast: “Reskilling: Good for Workers…and Companies, too”

UpSkill America Director Jaime Fall describes why upskilling is a great investment for workers and businesses alike.

Panelists on stage at "Fresh Pathways: Strategies to Improve Job Quality and Equity in Food Retail"
Blog Posts

What’s new at the Economic Opportunities Program, December 2018

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

Retail America: Pathways to Opportunity - Retail Opportunity Network
Blog Posts Podcasts

Podcast: The Benefits of Upskilling Frontline Workers

Upskill America Director Jamie Fall shares how upskilling programs benefit frontline workers and their employers.

Cashier working at supermarket
Blog Posts

Promising Workforce Strategies from Across the Reimagine Retail Network

Partnerships between workforce providers and retailers are improving stability, mobility, and performance for workers.

Gold bar split between 90% and 10%
Blog Posts

A better way to share the wealth

If we want to be a country that provides opportunity to all, we need to rethink how Americans acquire wealth.

Three workers sharing ideas around a conference table
Blog Posts

Strategic Guide to Building a Culture of Learning

The Time is Now for Action on Job Quality
Blog Posts

The Time is Now for Action on Job Quality

Through their work, the Job Quality Fellows are issuing a clear call for a new vision for work, and how communities and businesses should operate to expand opportunity for all.

Group of employees sitting at a conference table
Blog Posts

Building Registered Apprenticeship Programs

Apprenticeships help employees build skills while earning a paycheck.

Person welding and sparks flying
Blog Posts

Upskilling in 2018 – Share Your New Program with Us

Share your work and help advance upskilling as valuable business practice.

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