Upcoming Events from the Economic Opportunities Program — October & November 2025

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

We hope you’ll join us at one of our upcoming events, which you can learn about below. Everyone who registers will receive a link to the recording, so please sign up even if you can’t participate live.

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Tomorrow! — Big Impact, Big Challenges: Lessons from Collaborating with Large Businesses to Improve Job Quality

Thursday, October 9, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom

More than 40% of American workers are employed by large companies, those with more than 1,000 employees. So engaging and collaborating with these businesses provides an outsized opportunity to improve working conditions for millions of people. But for practitioners who are working to boost job quality, this opportunity presents unique challenges as well. These include complex decision-making processes and implementation challenges, wide-ranging organizational needs and incentives, and an array of other potential barriers. Let’s examine these hurdles and uplift strategies to overcome them. Join us for a conversation with experts from the Workforce & Organizational Research Center, Talent Rewire, and WorkLife Partnership. Thursday, October 9, from 2 to 3:15 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom. Click here to register.

November 19 — Backsliding on Child Protections: The Return of Child Labor in the US

Wednesday, November 19, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom

In recent years, at least 10 US states have passed laws to restrict child labor protections. And today, children as young as 13 work grueling jobs that put their health, safety, and development at risk — in meatpacking plants, warehouses, tobacco fields, and other dangerous environments. Now, what many believed to be a thing of the past is, in fact, an ever-growing crisis, with life and death consequences for children across the country. There have been numerous reports about children being seriously injured or killed working in these conditions — and migrant children, in particular, get funneled into the most dangerous sectors of the labor market, where oversight is weak and accountability is rare. Join us to explore how we arrived at this moment, and what we — policymakers, advocates, and others — can do to solve it. Wednesday, November 19, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, on Zoom. Click here to register.

October 20-21 — Aspen Ideas: Economy

Monday-Tuesday, October 20-21, in Newark, New Jersey

Taking place October 20–21, 2025, in Newark, New Jersey, Aspen Ideas: Economy will bring together leaders and innovators to explore the profound economic transformations reshaping our world, from seismic shifts in technology and trade to the evolving roles of policy and politics. Designed to tackle questions that go to the heart of the role of the economy in society, this convening will foster meaningful dialogue around vital issues: What really drives economic growth, and how can more people have a real stake in the upside of economic prosperity? What should we measure to define success in an economy? And how do economic choices shape broader societal outcomes? Click here to register.

In Case You Missed It

We are pleased to share recordings and resources from these recent conversations.

• September 26 — Banking on Skills: Cara Collective and BMO Bank Partner for Change
• September 5 — The Future of Equal Opportunity
• July 30 — Feeling the Heat: Workplace Safety in a Warming World

External Events and Speaking Engagements

EOP staff are frequently called upon to lend their expertise to a variety of critical conversations and settings. To invite one of our experts to speak at an event, please send us an email at eop.program@aspeninstitute.org.