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.

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Making the Connection: People, Incorporated of Southwest Virginia/Appalmade
Publications

Making the Connection: People, Incorporated of Southwest Virginia/Appalmade

This publication explores the three marketing strategies used by Appalmade to promote products created by home-based crafters in the Appalachian region.

Sector Policy Project Executive Summary No. 2
Publications

Sector Policy Project Executive Summary No. 2

In Executive Summary No. 2, the 12-month employment and earnings outcomes from the Sectoral Employment Development Learning Project participant survey are presented alongside benchmarks from other job training and welfare-to-work evaluations, especially the National JTPA Study (NJS).

Sector Policy Project Report No. 2-Measure For Measure: Assessing Traditional And Sectoral Strategies For Workforce Development
Publications

Sector Policy Project Report No. 2-Measure For Measure: Assessing Traditional And Sectoral Strategies For Workforce Development

In Report No. 2, the 12-month employment and earnings outcomes from the Sectoral Employment Development Learning Project participant survey are presented alongside benchmarks from other job training and welfare-to-work evaluations, especially the National JTPA Study (NJS).

Courses to Employment Update (Number 1) Beyond Graduation: Promoting Post-Program Engagement and Advancement
Publications

Courses to Employment Update (Number 1) Beyond Graduation: Promoting Post-Program Engagement and Advancement

Using the experiences of organizations in the WSI-managed Courses to Employment demonstration, this Update explores why and how some of these partnerships work to maintain relationships with adult participants after they have finished their training.

Making the Connection: Neighborhood Development Center
Publications

Making the Connection: Neighborhood Development Center

This report explores three distinct strategies to help low-income entrepreneurs reach new markets.

Project QUEST: A Case Study of a Sectoral Employment Development Approach
Publications

Project QUEST: A Case Study of a Sectoral Employment Development Approach

This case study provides a detailed account of Project QUEST, a workforce development program in San Antonio, Texas that works closely with industry and community partners to create training and career opportunities that help low-income people move out of poverty.

Research Report No. 1 – Microenterprise as a Welfare to Work Strategy: Client Characteristics
Publications

Research Report No. 1 – Microenterprise as a Welfare to Work Strategy: Client Characteristics

This report on FIELD’s Welfare to Work Learning Assessment summarizes findings from the first wave of TANF clients enrolled in microenterprise programs.

SEDLP Research Report No. 2: Closing The Gap: How Sectoral Workforce Development Programs Benefit The Working Poor
Publications

SEDLP Research Report No. 2: Closing The Gap: How Sectoral Workforce Development Programs Benefit The Working Poor

This Guide briefly addresses some of the issues microenterprise programs should consider when buying a new training curriculum, and offers detailed information about 13 curricula available commercially.

Research Brief No. 1 – Microenterprise as a Welfare to Work Strategy: Client Characteristics
Publications

Research Brief No. 1 – Microenterprise as a Welfare to Work Strategy: Client Characteristics

This research brief on FIELD’s Welfare to Work Learning Assessment summarizes findings from the first wave of TANF clients enrolled in microenterprise programs.

Assessment Tools for Microenterprise Training & Technical Assistance 
Publications

Assessment Tools for Microenterprise Training & Technical Assistance 

This manual features 13 easy-to-follow tools geared to practitioners who want to more systematically understand and assess the value of their training and technical assistance services.

Focus: HOPE: A Case Study of a Sectoral Employment Development Approach
Publications

Focus: HOPE: A Case Study of a Sectoral Employment Development Approach

Focus: HOPE, a Detroit civil rights organization, focuses on the metalworking industry and has developed a continuum of training and educational opportunities for occupations ranging from semi-skilled entry-level factory workers to manufacturing engineers.

Jane Addams Resource Corp: A Case Study of a Sectoral Employment Development Approach
Publications

Jane Addams Resource Corp: A Case Study of a Sectoral Employment Development Approach

This report looks at how a community-based organization, focusing on the metalworking industry, has created a set of training programs and other services geared to both employees and employers.

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