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.

Shared Success Evaluation Presentation Deck
Publications

Shared Success Evaluation Presentation Deck

This endline evaluation of the Shared Success demonstration aims to understand the impact of the work of the 11 community lenders who integrated job quality programming into their small business support services.

  • Tim Ogden
  • Barbara Magnoni
  • Tracy Cole
Close-up photo of hands typing on a laptop keyboard
Publications

Upskilling Playbook: AI, Skill Development, and the Workforce

Leaders must view AI adoption as a development opportunity to redefine how capability is built, focusing on outcomes and consciously reinvesting capacity freed by automation to ensure growth and resilience for both the business and its people.

Integrating a Job Quality Practice in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs): A Q&A
Publications

Integrating a Job Quality Practice in Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs): A Q&A

This Q&A provides insights and lessons from the work of 11 CDFIs that participated in Shared Success, a job quality demonstration led by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP).

Decorative photo of a row of people seated in a room, taking notes on paper
Publications

Job Quality Survey of Small Business Employees

Findings from this survey reinforce the importance of job quality for employee satisfaction.

Workforce Leadership Academies in Action: Lessons from Albuquerque and North Carolina
Publications

Workforce Leadership Academies in Action: Lessons from Albuquerque and North Carolina

This brief highlights two WLA communities: Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. It is the first in a series; we will revisit these communities in early 2026 to assess their progress and challenges.

The Case for Validated Skills: What Employers Want and Need
Publications
Durable Skills, Strong Starts: What Employers Really Want from Early- Career Talent
Publications

Durable Skills, Strong Starts: What Employers Really Want from Early- Career Talent

This piece is the first in a series. We will release additional briefs over the coming months that dive deeper into findings.

Employer-Friendly Practices: Bridging Higher Ed Practices and Employer Realities
Publications

Employer-Friendly Practices: Bridging Higher Ed Practices and Employer Realities

This paper is the first in a series. It elevates the specific issues that employers indicate are key enablers or inhibitors in their relationships and partnerships with colleges and universities.

Building Bridges: Lessons from the ECCP Initiative
Publications

Building Bridges: Lessons from the ECCP Initiative

This brief highlights the key behaviors and strategies for successful partnerships between community colleges and employers.

Investing in People Is an Investment in the Business: Talent Development Leads to Strong Business Outcomes
Publications

Investing in People Is an Investment in the Business: Talent Development Leads to Strong Business Outcomes

This case study shares Marlin Steel’s story over the past decade and illustrates a compelling model for how intentional investment in talent fosters competitive businesses and personal growth.

Bridging Small Business Support & Employment Law Compliance: A Toolkit for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)
Publications

Bridging Small Business Support & Employment Law Compliance: A Toolkit for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)

This toolkit provides practical insights that community development financial institutions (CDFIs) can use to expand their impact and support small business job quality and growth.

  • Cynthia Ward
  • Hana Shepherd
  • Andrew Wolf
  • Zuhur Ahmed

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