Finland flirts with basic income | Arlindo L. Oliveira in blog “Digital Minds”

arlindo oliveiraIn an experimental trial started January 1st, 2017, Finland started to attribute a basic social income to 2000 unemployed persons. Unlike a standard unemployment income, this subsidy will still be paid even if the recipients find work.finland

Under this scheme, unemployed Finns, with ages in the 25 to 58 range will receive a guaranteed sum of €560, every month, independently of whether they have or find any other income. This value will replace other existing social benefits. A number of articles, including this one, in the Guardian, provide additional information about the scheme.

The move comes on the wake of a promise made by the centre-right government coalition elected in 2015, to run a basic income pilot project. The objective is to address concerns related with the disappearance of jobs caused by technological changes.

Other countries, cities and regions are running tentative experiments in basic income, including the Netherlands, Canada and the city of Livorno, in Italy. However, many concerns remain about whether this mechanism is the right mechanism to address the challenges brought in by the advances of technology.

Photo by Mikko Paananen, available at WikiMedia Commons.

Finland flirts with basic income

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