Fifty by Fifty is catalyzing a movement to scale up employee ownership
Our goal: 50 million employee owners in the US by 2050
An initiative of The Democracy Collaborative, Fifty by Fifty is aimed at creating a more inclusive economy through employee ownership. Our goal is to catalyze a movement with the knowledge, resources, and skills to grow the number of employee owners in the U.S. to 50 million Americans by 2050.
The latest employee ownership news
Two Publishers Illustrate Why Ownership Matters
Financial ownership vs. inclusive multistakeholder ownership leads to different outcomes for Jossey-Bass and Berrett-Koehler
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Mass relaunches office to grow employee ownership
Concerns over business closures reignite interest in employee ownership among Massachusetts lawmakers
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Three Quarters of Americans Prefer to Work for an Employee-Owned Company
Widespread consensus on employee ownership revealed by national survey question.
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Berkeley, CA: Early Investor in Employee Ownership Conversions
City’s partnership with Project Equity aims to address wave of business closures.
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A National Strategy to Grow Home Care Cooperatives?
Participants at the USDA Interagency Working Group meeting see role for government leadership.
Continue Reading A National Strategy to Grow Home Care Cooperatives?
Mission-led Employee-Owned Enterprises Share Learnings in First-Ever Convening
Firms united in desire to spread transformative enterprise design model.
Continue Reading Mission-led Employee-Owned Enterprises Share Learnings in First-Ever Convening
Co-op Innovation Awards Announced
Awards go to groups using cooperatives to empower workers and support immigrant rights.
Ownership Design: Why does it matter?
At Fifty by Fifty we’ve been exploring ownership design. Our research has led us to conclude that enterprise design is an important lever of change, the key to building an economy that is both sustainable and equitable.
“It takes a job to get out of poverty but it takes assets to stay out of poverty. Ownership shares increase in value over time, generating wealth and security.”
—Fifty by Fifty cofounder Marjorie Kelly
Employee ownership offers a solution to the vast income and wealth inequality that is undermining America’s economy.
GOOD FOR EMPLOYEES
- WAGES: Employee owners earn average wages 5 to 12 percent higher than employees in conventional firms.
- WEALTH: The net worth of employee owners aged 28 to 34 is 92 percent higher than for non-employee owners.
- RETIREMENT SAVINGS: The average retirement savings for an ESOP employee is $170,000, twice the national average.
GOOD FOR BUSINESS
- TURNOVER: Employee engagement is higher and turnover is lower at employee-owned companies.
- GROWTH: Transitions to employee ownership increase productivity by more than 4 percent.
- STABILITY: Employee owners are one-fourth as likely to be laid off and their companies go bankrupt less frequently.
GOOD FOR COMMUNITIES
- JOBS: Employee ownership saves local jobs, because companies that are owned by their employees are far less likely to leave their communities.
- LOCAL WEALTH: Employee ownership keeps wealth circulating in local communities.
GOOD FOR OWNERS
- LEGACY: When business owners sell their businesses to their employees, they can keep their legacy alive for generations to come.
- SAVINGS: Entrepreneurs and family owners can realize the value the business has built while enjoying substantial tax savings.
- RESPONSIBILITY: Business founders and families can find ready buyers in employees, avoiding sale to those who would dismantle the business.
