Fifty by Fifty

A MOVEMENT FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP

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

Equitable Employee Ownership Transitions Require Investor Guardrails

New publication outlines best practices for investors, asset managers and others by Karen Kahn The novel coronavirus has permanently shuttered tens of thousands of businesses, leaving millions of employees jobless in a perilous economy. The pandemic has had a particularly devasting impact on Black- and Latinx-owned businesses, with one study estimating that the number of…

Continue Reading Equitable Employee Ownership Transitions Require Investor Guardrails

“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.

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A project of:

Democracy Collaborative