Opportunity in America - Events by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program

Guaranteed income is gaining increasing momentum across the US. The bipartisan idea, which has roots in the nation’s founding, the New Deal, the Nixon Administration, and the Civil Rights Movement, is being piloted in more than 100 demonstration sites across the country. The expanded Child Tax Credit — a guaranteed income for children — and stimulus payments during the pandemic were the largest unrestricted cash payments to families ever on a federal scale. Research shows that guaranteed income can reduce poverty and help families cover basic expenses like food, housing, and child care. Less well understood, however, is the impact guaranteed income can have on work.

Contrary to myths that cash transfers could disincentivize work, guaranteed income may in fact support work and workers. Data from recent pilots has provided strong evidence. In Stockton, CA, for example, recipients were more likely to work full time. What is the possible impact on the labor market more broadly, though, and especially on the quality of jobs? How might the security of a guaranteed income provide workers agency, strengthen competition, and raise the floor for all?

In this discussion, we hear from experts who discuss how guaranteed income can be a tool to boost worker power and job quality. This event features a panel discussion with Roy Bahat (Bloomberg Beta), Sumbul Siddiqui (Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts), Erica Smiley (Jobs With Justice), Dorian Warren (Community Change and the Economic Security Project), and moderator Natalie Foster (Economic Security Project). For more information about this event — including speaker bios, video, audio, transcript, and additional resources — visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/the-promise-of-guaranteed-income-a-new-tool-to-improve-jobs-and-empower-workers/

Read our latest brief on the topic, “The Potential of Guaranteed Income to Empower Workers and Improve Job Quality,” discussing these possibilities: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/publications/the-potential-of-guaranteed-income-to-empower-workers-and-improve-job-quality/

The US is often described as a nation of immigrants, and immigrant workers have played a critical role in building the country and our economy. While countless immigrant workers have found the US to be the land of opportunity and achieved the American dream through hard work, countless others have not had their hard work and labor rewarded, but instead have been subject to exploitation and abuse. This is as true for immigrant workers today as it was centuries ago. What do the experiences of immigrant workers today tell us about the nature of work and opportunity? What do the ongoing challenges of immigrant workers say about our economic and social divides? If we continue to have lower standards for the treatment of immigrant workers, can we ever realize our American ideals about work and opportunity?

In his new book, “The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America,” Saket Soni deals with these weighty questions by telling a gripping tale — a story of love, dreams, betrayal, greed, courage, redemption, and hope. And ultimately a story about learning to see across our society’s divides of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and geography — to find our common humanity.

This event features a discussion with Saket, co-founder and executive director of Resilience Force — and an Aspen Institute Job Quality Fellow — moderated by Maureen Conway, vice president at the Aspen Institute and executive director of the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program. For more information about this event — including speaker bios, video, audio, transcript, and additional resources — visit as.pn/greatescape or https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/the-great-escape-a-true-story-of-forced-labor-and-immigrant-dreams-in-america-a-book-talk-with-saket-soni/

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted 75 years ago by the United Nations, set forth a set of civil, social, and economic rights that inspired the development of human rights’ laws around the world. The declaration has been a north star for those working to build an equitable and fair society for all people ever since. But over the intervening decades, our economic agenda and policymaking have often focused on economic growth and business success metrics at the expense of human well-being. This economic framework, which preferences profits over people, has contributed to skyrocketing wealth and income inequality, economic instability, social unrest, and recently the rise of new authoritarian movements. The economic rights from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, however, are reemerging as part of a call for a more moral and equitable economic order. In this context, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and The New School’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy recently announced the Partnership for a Human Rights Economy. The partnership will help advance scholarship and economic policymaking toward achieving human rights. 

On January 19, the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and The New School’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy hosted a conversation on “Economics Reimagined: A Discussion on Building a Human Rights Economy.” Enjoy this engaging and informative discussion among our expert panelists and speakers about how we can change our economic framework to help build a more moral and inclusive economy. This event features opening remarks from Todd Howland (UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), followed by a panel discussion with Rangita de Silva de Alwis (University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School), Jim Wallis (Georgetown University Center on Faith and Justice), Darrick Hamilton (The New School), Thea Lee (U.S. Department of Labor), and moderator Binyamin Appelbaum (The New York Times Editorial Board).

The US government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, spending over $600 billion per year. Public procurement exceeds $2.1 trillion annually when state and local governments are included. These investments help create and support millions of jobs. But is this spending creating good jobs? Are contracts being awarded promoting racial and gender equity? Government agencies already often consider social impacts of procurement decisions. But as millions of jobs pay below a living wage and those posts are most commonly held by women and workers of color, more needs to be done to address the job quality crisis. Public procurement is a powerful tool that can help. The steady stream of public procurement and recent legislation, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, are unique opportunities to more fully leverage public investments to improve job quality and address race and gender inequities in government contracting.

This event features a panel discussion with Amy Saxton (The James Irvine Foundation), Paige Shevlin (US Department of Transportation), Tommy Smith (Kaiser Permanente), and moderator Nancy Marshall-Genzer (Marketplace). For more information about this event — including speaker bios, video, audio, transcript, and additional resources — visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/procurement-with-purpose-improving-equity-and-job-quality-through-public-procurement/

Worker-owned cooperatives are known to have a strong tradition and legacy in Europe, with Mondragon Corporation in Spain often stealing much of the international spotlight. Interest in worker-owned cooperatives is growing in the US, however, as people continue to look for ways to promote democracy in the workplace, create higher quality jobs, and build a more equitable economy. Alongside this interest is a growing body of research that has shown well-run cooperatives can be more resilient to economic shocks, experience less employee turnover, and achieve higher profit margins. Workers in cooperatives often benefit from better job security, equal or better pay than their peers, and more family-friendly workplaces.

Today, worker-owned cooperatives span numerous industries in the US, from home health care to manufacturing to ride-sharing. Some regions in the US have started to invest in and build supportive ecosystems for worker cooperatives in attempts to revitalize economies and offer a more inclusive approach to economic development. Efforts are also underway across the country to support retiring business owners in converting their business to employee ownership, including conversions to worker cooperatives. Despite this momentum, worker-owned cooperatives are a very small part of the US economy, and growing the model can be challenging. Financing, a lack of awareness, and the complexity of democratic management pose barriers to the worker-owned cooperative movement. How can we address these barriers to support the growth of cooperatives in the US? What role can worker cooperatives play in creating higher quality jobs and a more inclusive economy? What can we learn from successful cooperatives abroad and domestically about what works?

This event features a panel discussion with Hilary Abell (Project Equity), Sara Chester (The Industrial Commons), Esteban Kelly (U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives), Stacey Sutton (University of Illinois-Chicago), and moderator Maureen Conway (The Aspen Institute). It is the first discussion in a three-part series, “Employee Ownership’s Moment: Discussions on Advancing Policy and Practice.” For more information about this event — including speaker bios, video, audio, transcript, and additional resources — visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/democratizing-work-the-role-opportunities-and-challenges-of-worker-cooperatives-in-the-us/

The contributions of frontline workers have been widely lauded over the last few years. Though this long-overdue praise is important, we continue to fail to adequately compensate most essential workers even as corporate profits remain high and wealth inequality and race and gender wealth gaps persist. Employee ownership has continued to emerge against this backdrop and across party lines as a potential strategy for building an economy where prosperity is more equitably shared. Awareness about employee ownership, however, remains a challenge. Designing jobs and workplaces that include employee ownership can also be difficult and complex and many opportunities for growing the approach remain unrealized in the US.

Businesses looking to start or transition to an employee-owned business face a number of design choices. Employee Stock Ownership Programs (ESOPs), Employee Owned Trusts (EOTs, worker-owned cooperatives, and equity compensation programs each hold different advantages and disadvantages. They can differ in their profit sharing, costs, flexibility, and how workers are involved in decision making. Designing a workplace culture that fully leverages employee ownership’s strengths also requires intention. What drives businesses to choose employee ownership? What factors affect the design and structure of employee ownership and what workplace culture is needed for it to be effective? What lessons can we learn from employee-owned firms about improving job quality and worker engagement? What supports do employee-owned businesses need and how can philanthropy and government help more businesses find opportunities to build ownership into the jobs they provide?

This event features closing remarks from Senator Chris Van Hollen and a panel discussion with Jennifer Briggs (Contract CEO), Frank Lindsey (Old Takoma Ace Hardware), Gina Schaefer (A Few Cool Hardware Stores), Jeanne K. Wardford (W.K. Kellogg Foundation), and moderator Alana Semuels (TIME).

For more information and additional resources from this event, visit: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/ownership-at-work-a-discussion-on-designing-and-growing-employee-ownership/

Recognizing the urgency and potential for advancing good jobs, the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Families and Workers Fund convened the Good Jobs Champions Group — a diverse, cross-sector group of leaders in business, labor, advocacy, academia, nonprofits, and philanthropy — to develop a common definition of a good job.

Read and sign the Statement on Good Jobs: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/good-jobs-champions-group/

For too long, the success of the economy has been judged by how much it produces or the number of jobs available. This focus on quantity, and not quality, has led to a less resilient and less equitable economy, where millions of people struggle in bad jobs and people in all roles face rising insecurity. The current moment of economic transition presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to center good jobs for a robust, equitable economy. This vision requires a foundation of a broadly shared definition of what defines a good job – a definition that has remained a missing piece of the puzzle for too long.

We invite you to watch and learn from our panel of experts from business, labor, and philanthropy, who discuss how this shared definition will help advance effective action and accountability for good jobs, the significance of commitments by signatories to take action in their respective sectors, and what’s next in the renewed movement toward ensuring good jobs for all.

This event features opening remarks from Maureen Conway (The Aspen Institute), Rachel Korberg (The Families and Workers Fund), and Dan Porterfield (The Aspen Institute), followed by a panel discussion with Damien Dwin (Lafayette Square), April Verrett (SEIU), Darren Walker (Ford Foundation), and moderator Lydia DePillis (The New York Times).

UpSkill America — an initiative of the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program — and the Latinos and Society Program at the Aspen Institute, with support from Google.org, launched the  Digital Skills and the Latino Workforce research project to better  understand the challenges and opportunities that Latino workers and  Latino business owners face to succeed in the digital economy. Join this  webinar to learn more about promising approaches to digital upskilling  of Latino workers, students, and households implemented by organizations  around the country.

This event includes opening remarks from Domenika Lynch (The Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program), Haley Glover (UpSkill America at the Aspen Institute), and Hector Mujica (Google.org), followed by a panel discussion with Karina Ayala-Bermejo (Instituto del Progreso Latino), James Barry (32BJ Training Fund), Pam Saez (Austin Community College), Linda Smarzik (Austin Community College District), Victoria Prince (The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program), and Diego Deleersnyder (The Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program).

For more information and additional resources from this event, visit https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/pathways-to-digital-skills-development-for-latino-workers/

Training and learning opportunities are an important part of the design of any job. Frontline workers recently rated job growth and learning opportunities in the top three things they want in a job. Many workers, however, receive little, if any, training from their employers. This lack of investment in workers’ skills impedes workers’ opportunities for advancement, trapping many in a cycle of dead-end, low-quality jobs where women and people of color make up a disproportionate number of workers. For businesses and employers, failing to invest in workers is also costly. In addition to a disengaged workforce, many employers face high turnover when they do not invest in their workers. In the past year, the top reason workers globally left their jobs was due to a lack of career development and advancement opportunities. Businesses that invest in workers’ skills development and design jobs with work-based learning (WBL) opportunities, however, offer a more promising path.

When designed well, work-based learning provides a number of benefits to workers and businesses. WBL approaches such as apprenticeship, on-the-job training, and other forms of employer-sponsored training can offer workers the opportunity for upward mobility and the chance to earn and learn at the same time while employers gain a more engaged and skilled workforce. Too often though the frontline workers who could benefit the most from work-based learning do not receive the opportunity. How can businesses design jobs that include quality work-based learning that improves opportunity for workers and business outcomes? What barriers and opportunities do employers face in creating apprenticeship and other work-based learning models, particularly for front-line workers? What can we do to equitably expand work-based learning to workers who need it the most?

This event features a panel discussion with Daniel Bustillo (Executive Director, Healthcare Career Advancement Program), Jocelyn Caldwell (VP, Workforce Strategy and Organizational Growth, Walmart), Kim Gregorie (Head of the Business and Program Office for Talent Development and the Global Career Experience, JPMorgan Chase & Co.), Paul Osterman (Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Professor of Human Resources and Management, MIT Sloan School of Management), and moderator Abha Bhattarai (Economics Correspondent, The Washington Post).

For more information and resources from this event, visit our website: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/opportunity-by-design-a-discussion-on-growing-worker-skills-and-talent-in-the-workplace/

This is the second conversation in our three-part series, “The Job Quality Choice: Opportunities and Challenges in Job Design”: https://jobdesign.splashthat.com/

The last decade has seen a strong push to integrate new financial technologies into CDFI small business lending — a push exacerbated by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most CDFI small business lenders have begun the integration process, but found it challenging to fully access and reap the benefits of technology in finance (not to mention fintech). This shouldn’t be surprising — experiences with technology across other industries and sectors could have predicted the hurdles to wide-scale adoption and successful implementation. This session identifies the critical issues the CDFI industry — and, crucially, its funders and investors — must address if they are to create value from/reap the benefits of technology: What is Total Cost of Ownership and why does it matter for technology tactical and strategic planning? Policy, process, or technology — which comes first and why? Why/how is scale important in realizing the benefits of technology? How do private and public funding practices create challenges, and what can be done to improve? This conversation features Business Ownership Initiative (BOI) Senior Director Joyce Klein and BOI Senior Fellow Tim Ogden. This webinar was developed as part of the Global Inclusive Growth Partnership, a collaboration between the Aspen Institute and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. For more resources from this event, including downloadable slides and transcript, visit our website: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/integrating-technology-into-cdfi-small-business-lending-the-real-deal/