Employee Ownership and The Future of the American Worker
Description
American workers have faced numerous setbacks in the 21st century, including the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, continued wage stagnation, and an escalated cost of living.
While workers made some gains following the pandemic, thanks to a tight labor market and because of a spike in organizing, many still feel their needs are unmet, a major theme of the recent election. Too many workers still live in precarity — a situation that could be exacerbated by the rise of artificial intelligence and new technological developments. In the face of these challenges, a bipartisan consensus has formed around the need for a new form of economics that recognizes and meets the needs of working people and families. In this discussion from the 2025 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, panelists discuss the role of employee ownership in helping create a brighter future and better jobs for the American worker.
This video comes from the 2025 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. For clips and highlights from the Forum, subscribe to the Economic Opportunities Program on YouTube, and tune in to our podcast to listen to full discussions on the go. For more from the Forum — including audio, transcripts, and additional resources — click here.
Speakers
- Xavier De Souza Briggs, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
- Chris Griswold, Policy Director, American Compass
- Michael Quarrey, Vice President Corporate Development, Web Industries
- Adria Powell, President and CEO, Cooperative Home Care Associates
- Moderator: Emma Goldberg, Reporter, The New York Times
Related Resources
- A Better Bargain: Worker Voice and Representation | American Compass
- America’s industrial transformation needs a Marshall Plan for small businesses and their workers.
- Building an American Energy Future for All – Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
- Growing Pains – American Compass
- Interview with CHCA’s President and CEO, Adria Powell.
- Our Values – Web Industries
About the Employee Ownership Ideas Forum
The Employee Ownership Ideas Forum brings together leading policymakers, practitioners, experts, and the media for a robust discussion on how we can grow employee ownership for the shared benefit of American workers and businesses. It is hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing.
About the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing
The purpose of the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing is to study the various models that have emerged and will emerge of employee ownership shares and profit shares in the corporation and society of the United States and around the world.
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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