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.

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Blog Posts

Why We Need a Small Business Borrower’s Bill of Rights

Each shuttered business represents not just the damaged dreams and credit of the individual owners, but lost jobs, vacant storefronts, and the loss of local goods and services as well. The Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights is a critical step to address problems in the small-business lending industry.

What Is Your Upskilling Story and How Well Are You Telling It?
Blog Posts

What Is Your Upskilling Story and How Well Are You Telling It?

Your upskilling strategy tells a story to employees and potential employees who are considering where they want to work.

Education, Training, & Development Inventory and Communications Assessment
Blog Posts

Education, Training, & Development Inventory and Communications Assessment

Every company has an upskilling story it is telling its employees and potential employees.

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Blog Posts

Why We Need a Small Business Borrower’s Bill of Rights

As a critical building block of our economy — and its recovery from the great recession — small businesses must be protected from predatory lending and other practices which could cripple growth and slow the building of American wealth.

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Blog Posts

With Unions Disappearing, What’s the Future of the Worker Voice?

Labor union membership and strength is in a free fall. From 1954 to 2014, union membership fell from 34.8 percent of wage and salary workers to 11.1 percent. Half of the states have adopted “right to work” laws. And last year, the US Supreme Court ruled against a home care worker union in Harris v. Quinn. In light of these statistics, the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program recently held a panel discussion to address the future of worker voice, new means of organizing, and what the future of organized labor will look like.

FCA US Dealers to Offer Employees No-Cost, No-Debt College Education
Blog Posts

FCA US Dealers to Offer Employees No-Cost, No-Debt College Education

Employees of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and FIAT dealerships will have the unique opportunity to earn a no-cost, no-debt college degree.

Talent Sustainability Report: The CHRO View From the Front Lines of the War on Talent
Blog Posts

Talent Sustainability Report: The CHRO View From the Front Lines of the War on Talent

HR executives at America’s major employers give a candid assessment of their work on the front lines of the War on Talent.

White House Releases Fact Sheet on Upskilling
Blog Posts

White House Releases Fact Sheet on Upskilling

New resources that make the case for why upskilling efforts are essential and how companies join in.

The Role of Business in Promoting Educational Attainment: A National Imperative
Blog Posts

The Role of Business in Promoting Educational Attainment: A National Imperative

To succeed in a changing economy, employers must commit to helping their employees learn and advance.

Blog Posts

How do We Restore the Promise of Work in America?

When 10.6 million working Americans live in poverty, new ideas are needed to restore the promise of work.

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Blog Posts

‘Skilling Up’ Americans for a Better Economic Future

We need more American business leaders to invest in effectively upskilling their workers.

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Blog Posts

How to Create Solutions that Connect People to Work

Insights on improving job accessibility from the authors and editors of “Connecting People to Work: Workforce Intermediaries and Sector Strategies.”

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