Universal job guarantee boosts wellbeing and eliminates long-term unemployment
14 Sept 23
Abstract:
An unconditional job guarantee pilot has run in an Austrian town since 2020, filling an evidence gap on a policy tool of widespread interest.
The pilot eliminated long-term unemployment – an important result, given the programme’s voluntary nature – and drove a large reduction in overall unemployment.
Participants’ incomes rose and they gained greater financial security.
Those taking part were happier, more satisfied, and felt more in control of their lives. They had more meaningful interactions with others, felt more valued, and felt they had more people around them who they could rely on.
The pilot is forecast to cost marginally less per person than equivalent Austrian unemployment benefits.
Citation:
Lukas Lehner, Maximilian Kasy, Jessica Kaplan, Universal job guarantee boosts wellbeing and eliminates long-term unemployment, INET Oxford Research Briefing, September 2023.