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.

SEDLP Research Report No. 1: Methodology and Findings from the Baseline Survey of Participants
Publications

SEDLP Research Report No. 1: Methodology and Findings from the Baseline Survey of Participants

This publication takes an in-depth look at data collected in the baseline survey of people participating in a longitudinal study conducted by the Sectoral Employment Development Learning Project.

FIELD Forum Issue 7 – Recruiting, Assessing, and Screening TANF Recipients
Publications

FIELD Forum Issue 7 – Recruiting, Assessing, and Screening TANF Recipients

This issue explores the challenges of recruiting TANF recipients to microenterprise programs and describes the assessment and screening components used to help clients determine whether self-employment is a sound option given the current time-limited welfare system.

Sector Policy Project Executive Summary No. 1
Publications

Sector Policy Project Executive Summary No. 1

This executive summary is the first in a three-part series, the purpose of which is to make both the general concept of sector strategy and the particular outcomes of sector programs accessible to policymakers in easy-to-understand terms.

Sector Policy Project Report No. 1-Measure For Measure: Assessing Traditional And Sectoral Strategies For Workforce Development
Publications

Sector Policy Project Report No. 1-Measure For Measure: Assessing Traditional And Sectoral Strategies For Workforce Development

This executive summary is the first in a three-part series, the purpose of which is to make both the general concept of sector strategy and the particular outcomes of sector programs accessible to policymakers in easy-to-understand terms.

Fostering Entrepreneurship Through Training and Technical Assistance
Publications

Fostering Entrepreneurship Through Training and Technical Assistance

This publication describes: the varied content provided in training and technical assistance programs; some of the rich innovation occurring today; emerging responses to ongoing business needs; and the challenge of assessing the impact of training — particularly as it relates to costs and business outcomes.

Business Capital for Microentrepreneurs: Providing Microloans
Publications

Business Capital for Microentrepreneurs: Providing Microloans

This publication summarizes for those new to the field some of the key issues surrounding microcredit, including the principal methodologies and current product innovations.

Microenterprise Development Works!: Outcomes for Clients
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Microenterprise Development Works!: Outcomes for Clients

This publication summarizes the data on tangible outcomes for clients associated with microenterprise programs.

Microenterprise Development in the United States: An Overview
Publications

Microenterprise Development in the United States: An Overview

This publication concisely describes the evolution of microenterprise development, its track record, costs and future challenges.

Sources of Public Funding
Publications

Sources of Public Funding

This publication offers a concise overview of various public funding sources for microenterprise programs – describing state, local and federal programs.

Making the Connection: Appalachian Center for Economic Networks
Publications

Making the Connection: Appalachian Center for Economic Networks

This publication takes an in-depth look at how ACEnet is helping low-income entrepreneurs link their products to the rapidly growing specialty and natural food sectors.

Program Design for Microenterprise Development
Publications

Program Design for Microenterprise Development

This fact sheet introduces some of the key issues those designing a microenterprise program should consider – from the appropriate organizational settings to matching target groups with appropriate strategies.

FIELD Forum Issue 5 – New Grant Cluster Focuses On: Achieving Scale
Publications

FIELD Forum Issue 5 – New Grant Cluster Focuses On: Achieving Scale

Eight organizations recently were awarded two-year, $100,000 grants by FIELD to test promising approaches for achieving scale in the microenterprise services they offer.

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