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.

Woman in graduation cap.
Blog Posts

Discover Is Giving Employees a Free College Degree

The new program covers tuition, required fees, books and supplies needed to complete select online degrees.

Job Quality Fellowship Webinar
Blog Posts

Job Quality Fellowship Webinar

Learn more about the Economic Opportunities Program’s Job Quality Fellowship.

A group of students in a university classroom
Blog Posts

Companies Help Employees Pay Tuition—but Few Accept the Offer

Why do less than 10% of workers at companies that offer tuition subsidies use them?

Airplane wing
Blog Posts

Boeing’s $100M Education Program Takes Flight

The new network of resources will make learning more accessible to employees at all levels of the company.

2018 CODE: Rosie participant Angela Alexander sitting in front of a laptop.
Blog Posts

How Disney Is Helping Its Women Learn to Code

Disney’s CODE: Rosie gives women in non-technical roles an opportunity to switch careers and learn to build the Magic Kingdom bit by bit.

Walmart’s New Education Benefit Puts Cap and Gown Within Reach for Associates
Blog Posts

Walmart’s New Education Benefit Puts Cap and Gown Within Reach for Associates

Over a million employees could earn their college degree for just $1 a day.

Woman Wearing Pink Dress Shirt Holding Gray Laptop Computer
Blog Posts

Accenture Commits $200 Million to Upskilling for the Digital Age

The company’s latest investment will help boost skills and employment for people around the world.

Young carpenter and mature quality control inspector reading blueprints in a factory.
Blog Posts

How Lowe’s is Building a New Skilled-Trade Workforce

Lowe’s “Track to the Trades” program connects employees with up to $2,500 in tuition assistance for online pre-apprenticeship training.

Chick-fil-A employee holding a giant scholarship check.
Blog Posts

Chick-fil-A Invests in Employee Scholarships

The multimillion-dollar investment is helping over 5,000 employees pay for college this year.

Woman Wearing Gray Blazer Facing Woman Wearing White Shirt and Black Blazer With Laptop on Lap
Blog Posts

PepsiCo Donates $4 Million to Upskilling Young Women in the Bronx

A $4 million grant will support high-quality education and workforce training programs for 20,000 young women and girls in the Bronx.

Nominations open for the Job Quality Fellowship, Class of 2018-19
Blog Posts

Nominations open for the Job Quality Fellowship, Class of 2018-19

We’re looking for leaders across a variety of fields and disciplines who are working to advance quality jobs.

Person holding an Amazon package
Blog Posts

Amazon Turns Upskilling on Its Head

Amazon is training its employees for better jobs—even if those jobs exist somewhere else.

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.

Join Our Mailing List

To receive occasional emails about our work — including new publications, commentary, events, fellowships, and more — join our mailing list.

Connect on Social Media

For news and updates every day, connect with us on the social media platform of your choice.

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.

Placeholder
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