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.

Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills (New York, N.Y.)
Publications

Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills (New York, N.Y.)

This document is a profile of a construction pre-apprenticeship program and provides information about the program’s history, training design and curriculum, funding, partners and industry engagement.

CityBuild (San Francisco, Calif.)
Publications

CityBuild (San Francisco, Calif.)

This document is a profile of a construction pre-apprenticeship program and provides information about the program’s history, training design and curriculum, funding, partners and industry engagement.

Building New Careers: Construction Trades Training Program (Des Moines, Iowa)
Publications

Building New Careers: Construction Trades Training Program (Des Moines, Iowa)

This document is a profile of a construction pre-apprenticeship program and provides information about the program’s history, training design and curriculum, funding, partners and industry engagement.

Building Futures (Providence, R.I.)
Publications

Building Futures (Providence, R.I.)

This document is a profile of a construction pre-apprenticeship program and provides information about the program’s history, training design and curriculum, funding, partners and industry engagement.

Apprenticeship Skills Achievement Program (ASAP) (Cleveland, Ohio)
Publications

Apprenticeship Skills Achievement Program (ASAP) (Cleveland, Ohio)

This document is a profile of a construction pre-apprenticeship program and provides information about the program’s history, training design and curriculum, funding, partners and industry engagement.

Financial Literacy and Credit-building Services among Microenterprise Development Organizations 
Publications

Financial Literacy and Credit-building Services among Microenterprise Development Organizations 

From the inception of the microenterprise field in the United States, practitioners have recognized that strong financial management skills are a critical ingredient for business success.

Tuning In To Local Labor Markets
Publications
Surviving the Recession: How Microlenders are Coping with Changing Demand, Risk and Funding 
Publications

Surviving the Recession: How Microlenders are Coping with Changing Demand, Risk and Funding 

This fact sheet probes recent as well as historical data on microlending to track the evolution of demand for microloans, changes in risk to microloan portfolios and trends in capital and budget adequacy.

Microenterprise Programs and Job Creation
Publications

Microenterprise Programs and Job Creation

Summarizes recent research results on the success of microenterprises in creating jobs that provide income for owner and employees alike.

Providing Capital, Building Communities, Creating Impact
Publications

Providing Capital, Building Communities, Creating Impact

The year 2008 was a period of continued economic decline.

Scaling Microlending in a Changed Economy
Publications

Scaling Microlending in a Changed Economy

This guide describes the key steps microlenders have taken in order to scale their lending and the implications of their experiences for funders interested in supporting greater scale.

Dollars for Dreams: Scaling Microlending in the United States
Publications

Dollars for Dreams: Scaling Microlending in the United States

This publication discusses the experiences of five leading microfinance organizations, which participate in the Scale Academy for Microenterprise Development.

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