One effect it might have, is that employers need to go above and beyond to keep their workers happy. So, so many people have a job which they at the very best tolerate, but would quit on the spot - if they had the economic means to do so.
Some of those jobs are quite critical for society. Just think about healthcare...plenty of people enter healthcare with high morale and a desire to help, but find them completely disillusioned due to overwork, shitty shifts, unappreciation, mediocre pay, and what have you. If half of healthcare workers quit on the spot, that would lead to a societal crisis. But maybe it would also force the employers to fundamentally change the space, in order to not lose their employees.
I also think UBI would give people a "second chance". Lots of people enter the workforce before they know what they want to do, and find themselves lock into the profession or work - due to financial reasons.
I think it would certainly redistribute wealth from going into the pockets of the top 10% since they'd have to make their workers' jobs more enticing or get out there and do it themselves.
I don't understand arguments against UBI that rest on people not working anymore if they get UBI. A society where UBI is possible surely has to be one where humans no longer have to work. Otherwise it's impossible to finance.
I've never seen any explanation for how it's going to be financed that passes even the most rudimentary fact check. There is not enough existing money to pay for it, and if we create new money it will lose value.
As long as necessities are valuable, meaning people actually have to work to make them, we can't pretend that they're worthless by covering their costs with a UBI. I see no way around that.
Before we reach the stage where necessities are free, UBI seems to result in taking thousands from people in need in order to give twenties to everyone including FAANG-programmers and lawyers.
I'd rather see the ones in need get thousands and actually survive.
This could be true. One area I would like to see more data on is how UBI will be paid for. If taxes increase on medium-high earners to pay for it, you very well could see a drop-off in labor force participation even if it isn’t directly related to the receipt of UBI.
> If half of healthcare workers quit on the spot, that would lead to a societal crisis. But maybe it would also force the employers to fundamentally change the space, in order to not lose their employees.
In a capitalist society, wages would rise and conditions will improve as people are willing to pay as much as needed for health care.
The problem is that in the current rent-seeking economy (capital gets all the money while work is worth very little) all that money is redirected to the owners of middleman companies that add nothing to the economy. Produce no services nor products. Our current system is very inefficient and cannot last as it is today.
To increase wages and improve the situation of most workers will assure increased productivity and citizens well-being. It is a no-brainer. But it is not easy to implement as the people in power profits handsomely with the current bad situation.
One effect it might have, is that employers need to go above and beyond to keep their workers happy. So, so many people have a job which they at the very best tolerate, but would quit on the spot - if they had the economic means to do so.
Some of those jobs are quite critical for society. Just think about healthcare...plenty of people enter healthcare with high morale and a desire to help, but find them completely disillusioned due to overwork, shitty shifts, unappreciation, mediocre pay, and what have you. If half of healthcare workers quit on the spot, that would lead to a societal crisis. But maybe it would also force the employers to fundamentally change the space, in order to not lose their employees.
I also think UBI would give people a "second chance". Lots of people enter the workforce before they know what they want to do, and find themselves lock into the profession or work - due to financial reasons.