Finland to pay unemployed basic income of $587 per month

[DonViejo]

Source: Associated Press



MONDAY, JAN 2, 2017 12:00 PM EST

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland has become the first country in Europe to pay its unemployed citizens a basic monthly income, amounting to 560 euros ($587), in a social experiment hoped to cut government red tape, reduce poverty and boost employment.

Olli Kangas from the Finnish government agency KELA said Monday that the two-year trial with the 2,000 randomly picked citizens who receive unemployment benefits kicked off Jan. 1.

Those 2,000 unemployed chosen will receive 560 euros every month, with no reporting requirements on how they spend it. The amount will be deducted from any benefits they already receive.

The unemployment rate of Finland, a nation of 5.5 million, stood at 8.1 percent in November with some 213,000 people without a job — unchanged from the previous year.

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2017/01/02/finland-to-pay-unemployed-basic-income-of-587-per-month/

[OnlinePoker]

1. If they're already on benefits, how does this help?

It's just shuffling the money from one government pot to another.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Because they'll be able to take part time employment

and still keep this payment.

There was a thread on this a couple of weeks ago - http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028376951 - though from a New York Times article, which may or may not be a problem for you if you're limited in the number of NYT pages you can view. The basis of it is that many people say employers would be willing to give them part time work, paid at a decent hourly rate, but that would stop all of their benefit, and leave them worse off. So they hold out for full time jobs, which doesn't help the employers who don't have a business case for a full time employee, and thus everyone is worse off.

[longship]

3. Sisu! nt

[basement demon]

4. "For a brief, shining moment, we were Finland"

[elmac]

5. now we are much closer to Haiti

then Finland. in other words, total corporate control with zero safety nets.