Guaranteed Basic Income

Finland’s Universal Basic Income Experiment – A small increase in employment, a huge boost to well-being

Posted by Michel Cournoyer ⋅ September 17, 2020 ⋅ 3 Comments

As income inequality and economic upheaval take center stage, is a guaranteed minimum income worth considering? Results from a two-year experiment in Finland offer clues. A small increase in employment In the design of the Finnish experiment, the main research question, agreed to by parliament in the enabling legislation, was the impact of a basic … Continue reading →

Basic Income in Canada – A guaranteed 18 329 $ would cost up to $96.4 billion in 6 months, excluding behavioral reactions

Posted by Michel Cournoyer ⋅ July 8, 2020 ⋅ 1 Comment

A parliamentarian requested that the PBO estimate the cost of a guaranteed basic income (GBI) program to ensure all Canadians between 18 and 64 have income of at least 75% of the Low-Income Measure (LIM; $24,439 for an individual and $34,562 for a couple) for the last six months of the fiscal year 2020-21. The … Continue reading →

Basic Income in Canada – Using the Ontario model would would cost between $76.0 billion and $79.5 billion

Posted by Michel Cournoyer ⋅ April 20, 2018 ⋅ 3 Comments

The total annual estimated gross cost of the defined GBI would range between $76.0 billion and $79.5 billion for the period 2018-2023. The guaranteed income for disability would range between $3.2 billion and $3.5 billion. PBO forecasts that more than 7.5 million people would benefit from the basic cost of GBI. Thus, on a per capita basis, the annual cost … Continue reading →

Universal Basic Income in Finland – It’s unrealistic to think that basic income will be implemented in this country says the pilot’s director

Posted by Michel Cournoyer ⋅ January 12, 2018 ⋅ 4 Comments

In the winter of 2015, the government, which is dominated by the right-leaning Centre Party, announced a formal study, run by Kela, to see if basic income was viable. The public adored the idea. In national polls, almost 70 percent of Finns supported it. Asked what level of income would be sufficient, on average they … Continue reading →

Universal Basic Income (UBI) – Three reasons

Posted by Michel Cournoyer ⋅ April 6, 2017 ⋅ 7 Comments

From Mongolia to Finland to India, we are seeing heightened interest in the idea of a universal basic income (UBI)—an unconditional cash grant given to every citizen, regardless of their employment status or wealth. The idea is controversial, receiving criticism from many quarters including Future Development. To sharpen the debate, it’s useful to distinguish three … Continue reading →