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.

Employer Support Contributes to Credential Completion
Blog Posts

Employer Support Contributes to Credential Completion

The RAND evaluation used millions of administrative data records over multiple years from Ivy Tech and conducted a regression analysis to examine whether participation in AYD was associated with differences in credential completion for working learners.

Job Quality Newsletter: Rethinking Work and Opportunity
Blog Posts

Job Quality Newsletter: Rethinking Work and Opportunity

In this edition of the Job Quality Newsletter, we unpack why manufacturing jobs are often seen as desirable yet don’t consistently deliver on that promise, highlight research that shows how efforts to strengthen businesses can also improve the quality of jobs they provide, and consider how government purchasing power can be used to set higher job standards across the sector.

group photo of cohort 3 of the Education and Career Mobility fellowship
Blog Posts

Seeing the Grass, Solving for the Weeds

These leaders are returning to their organizations ready to ask the right questions and committed to the “weed-pulling” required to cultivate a stronger workforce.

infographic of a newsletter on a tablet
Blog Posts

Economic Opportunities Program Monthly Digest — January 2026

We are pleased to present a selection of our work from the past month.

3 tech workers look at a large screen with data on it
Blog Posts

Missing Demand May Miss the Opportunity: Research Insights for States Building Talent Marketplaces That Work

In December 2025, the United States Department of Education (US ED) announced the Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge to support states in building and scaling talent marketplace platforms.

Resource Roundup: A Look at the Year Ahead
Blog Posts
Five Big Ideas for Employee Ownership
Blog Posts

Five Big Ideas for Employee Ownership

Job Quality Newsletter – 2025 Highlights
Blog Posts

Job Quality Newsletter – 2025 Highlights

In this edition of the Job Quality Newsletter, we unpack why manufacturing jobs are often seen as desirable yet don’t consistently deliver on that promise, highlight research that shows how efforts to strengthen businesses can also improve the quality of jobs they provide, and consider how government purchasing power can be used to set higher job standards across the sector.

To Help Small Businesses Recover From the L.A. Fires, Invest in Community Lenders
Blog Posts

To Help Small Businesses Recover From the L.A. Fires, Invest in Community Lenders

Nonprofit lenders often deploy funds faster than the government but need more capital to meet demand.

Resource Roundup: Life Beyond Work
Blog Posts

Resource Roundup: Life Beyond Work

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