by Joe Timothy | Jan 29, 2016 | News
Sam Altman of the Y Combinator, an organisation that provides seed funding to startups, has just announced an ambitious plan to undertake a research project into the effects of a Basic income on people who receive it. The basic idea, still very much “work in progress”, is to give a basic income to a group of people in the US for five years. Y Combinator is looking for a researcher who will take the reigns of the whole project and lead it from start to finish.
The drive behind this project has been the limited amount of data that is available on what people would actually do if they were given a basic income. Altman goes on to argue “that at some point in the future, as technology continues to eliminate traditional jobs and massive new wealth gets created, we’re going to see some version of this [basic income] at a national scale.” This shortage of data and his personal belief is what is driving this research. Its purpose is to further understanding of the impact that a basic income could have on individuals and their level of economic output.
The job itself will be for the whole five years of the project. They are looking for someone with experience in research, however the ad does mention that they place a high value on someone’s potential, so experience isn’t everything. While the ad mentions the location of San Francisco, California, a question in the application form makes it clear that moving to the Bay Area is not a requirement for the job.
This is a unique opportunity for an individual to carry out some groundbreaking research into the benefits of adopting a Universal Basic Income.
Applications close on February 15. For more information and to apply click here.
by Karl Widerquist | Dec 14, 2015 | News
The Universal Income Project is looking for a motivated part-time Basic Income Organizer, helping to advocate for an American Universal Basic Income. They’re organizing Basic Income Create-A-Thons around the United States.
The first basic income Create-a-thon
A Create-A-Thon is a weekend marathon of intrinsically-motivated work, writers, artists, videographers, developers, musicians, and other creatives come together to create content and media around the theme of a Universal Basic Income in the United States. They’ve already organized one Create-A-Thon, which took place in November in San Francisco. They’re now looking to organize them in other cities.
This is a month-to-month position with a $1000 stipend per month, starting immediately. The commitment is 15 hours/week, and applicants must be in the San Francisco Bay Area. Location will be flexible for most work hours, but applicants must have regular access to a computer and internet. For more information go to: https://www.universalincome.org/job-offer-basic-income-organizer/
Or email: questions@universalincome.org.
by Tyler Prochazka | Nov 23, 2015 | News
Zipcar co-founder Robin Chase is optimistic about the future of the sharing economy, but also believes that automation will force many into unemployment. While speaking at the Global Drucker Forum, Chase advocated for a “basic income” in order to combat what she sees as inevitable job displacement by technology.
While some believe that new jobs will replace those that are automated, Chase said she believes many unskilled workers will be left behind. In order to push forward the idea in the United States, Chase called for basic-income pilot projects in cities across the country.
Rick Wartzman, “Startup CEO Loves Tech but Fears Millions Will Be Jobless”, Fortune, November 14, 2015.
by Andre Coelho | Nov 22, 2015 | Research
Credit to: Sin Permisso
Daniel Raventós, Jordi Arcarons and Lluís Torrens make the case for basic income, which they justify as more rational, more efficient and socially desirable than guaranteed jobs (from Izquerda Unida) and the plan of income guarantee (from Podemos). This is put forward in a recently published article on the Sin Permisso magazine.
Jordi Arcarons, Daniel Raventós, Lluís Torrens, “El “trabajo garantizado” de Izquierda Unida y el “plan de garantía de rendas” de Podemos contra la pobreza: unas propuestas muy pobres” [“”Guaranteed jobs” from Izquierda Unida and “Plan of income guarantee” from Podemos, against poverty: two very weak proposals”], Sin Permisso, November 1st 2015
by Tyler Prochazka | Oct 4, 2015 | News
freedigitalphotos.net
In the past, when technology displaced jobs, many other opportunities for jobs were created by the same technology. However, an article by Federico Pistono in the New Scientist says that increasing automation of work may require governments to experiment with the Universal Basic Income (UBI).
Previous experiments’ results have been “promising but not conclusive”, Pistono said. For example, research showed that people receiving a basic income continued to work and the general well-being of those receiving the basic income was improved.
To determine whether the UBI should be implemented across an entire country, though, the New Scientist recommends first running experiments across several large cities.
Federico Pistono, “As tech threatens jobs, we must test a universal basic income” New Scientist, Sept. 17, 2015.
