Building and Sustaining Worker Cooperatives in the US

Compared to the rest of the world, worker cooperatives make up a tiny proportion of the US economy—a 2021 study counted 612 worker cooperatives in the country. However, that number has risen significantly in recent years. Interest in worker cooperatives is also rising among businesses and workers, as well as investors, policymakers, and researchers. Those newly interested in cooperatives are coming to the movement at a time of deep economic inequality, wage stagnation, and job precarity. Against this backdrop, it is no surprise that a model for democratic workplaces where workers benefit more directly from the profits of their labor is enjoying increased attention and support. In worker cooperatives—where workers jointly own and manage the businesses and have agency over their working conditions and input into the business’ governance—these benefits translate into tangible economic outcomes. Cooperatives are more resilient to economic shocks, experience lower turnover among workers, an

Compared to the rest of the world, worker cooperatives make up a tiny proportion of the US economy—a 2021 study counted 612 worker cooperatives in the country. However, that number has risen significantly in recent years. Interest in worker cooperatives is also rising among businesses and workers, as well as investors, policymakers, and researchers. Those newly interested in cooperatives are coming to the movement at a time of deep economic inequality, wage stagnation, and job precarity. Against this backdrop, it is no surprise that a model for democratic workplaces where workers benefit more