Worker Cooperatives Grow Dramatically in the U.S.

On August 7, the UK's Coop News ran a story about worker ownership in the United States, noting that the number of worker cooperatives had grown dramatically from 350 in 2008 to roughly 600 today. Esteban Kelly, the executive director of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, argues that a series of factors came together to lead to the increase. Those factors include the 2008 financial crisis, publicity in Michael Moore's 2009 documentary on capitalism, local initiatives such as ones in New York City and Newark, New Jersey, and interest by philanthropic organizations, researchers, and impact investors.