Employee ownership offers many benefits for cities looking to grow their economies and develop their workforce. It fosters job security and business stability, encourages higher wages, helps workers build their assets, and produces higher-quality jobs. Furthermore, it helps close racial and gender gaps in wealth and income and reduces the risk of local small businesses closing.
This playbook from the National League of Cities (NLC) and the Democracy at Work Institute helps cities integrate employee ownership into their municipal economic and workforce development strategies. It offers three broad approaches based on common problems that many cities, towns and villages face:
