Employee Ownership and ESOPs

Aspen Institute’s Employee Ownership and ESOPs: What We Know from Recent Research finds that roughly 25 million U.S. workers have ownership stakes, including 11 million active ESOP participants. Compared to similar workers, ESOP employees enjoy nearly twice the retirement wealth, competitive pay, stronger benefits, and significantly lower layoff rates. The report also shows ESOPs boost job quality, workplace safety, and employee engagement, particularly when supported by a positive organizational culture.