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their view Universal basic income’s policy design dilemmas

their view Universal basic income’s policy design dilemmas

From state capacity constraints to the dangers of a one-size-fits-all approach, there’s plenty to consider

These are heady times for the Indian welfare state. Comments by government officials have renewed hope that a universal basic income (UBI), or a variant thereof, is under serious consideration. Presenting the state’s budget earlier this month, Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Haseeb Drabu proposed a targeted basic income in the form of cash transfers. Articulating a more critical view, Niti Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya, in a recent interview, stated that India simply lacked the fiscal room to deliver a UBI benchmarked to the […]

GERMANY: Basic Income Party on Ballot in State Election

Germany’s basic income political party, Bündnis Grundeinkommen, will be on the ballot for the first time in the federal state of Saarland, which holds state elections on March 26, 2017.

Founded in September 2016 , the German political party Bündnis Grundeinkommen (“Basic Income League”) is devoted to a single issue: the establishment of an unconditional basic income in Germany.

Unlike Switzerland–which held a national referendum on basic income in June 2016 after campaigners collected more than the necessary 100,000 signatures–Germany does not allow national referenda. Thus, basic income supporters decided to launch a dedicated political party as a means […]

Hicks: Trade deals won’t change manufacturing employment

Hicks: Trade deals won’t change manufacturing employment

(Photo: Photo provided by Ball State University) This year marks the 40th anniversary of peak factory jobs in the United States. These jobs have been in nearly steady decline ever since. Something close to this trend has occurred throughout the developed world for a half century. At the same time, manufacturing production hit a new record in 2015. This is true no matter how you measure it; the inflation-adjusted value of goods produced, the quantity-adjusted chain indices or value-added measures. Now, admittedly the data isn’t in yet, but it is likely 2016 will have displaced 2015 as the record […]

Robots may soon take over millions of jobs in ASEAN, reveals ILO study

Robots may soon take over millions of jobs in ASEAN, reveals ILO study

Urges stakeholders to prepare and adapt to changes

New Delhi, January 29:

Flagging the imminent takeover of million of jobs by disruptive technologies such as robotics, automation, cloud, Internet of Things etc., a new ILO study urges all stakeholders — government, employers and employees — to lose no time in adapting to these changes to skill their workforce, create meaningful employment and prepare its workforce.The study, ‘ASEAN in Transformation’, covers five export-oriented sectors — automotive and auto parts; electrical and electronics; textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) in manufacturing, and business process outsourcing and retail in services in the Association of South […]

Fife pushes ahead with universal basic income plan

Fife pushes ahead with universal basic income plan

A former mining village in Fife is to host a meeting of international experts and politicians to discuss a radical alternative to the present welfare system. More than 150 people are expected in Kelty on Saturday to discuss the potential of universal basic income (UBI) – a regular unconditional sum paid to all adults regardless of employment status.The event, organised by the newly established Citizens Basic Income Network (CBINS), will hear from academics Professor Karl Weiderquest and Professor Mike Danson as well as politicians from all major parties.It is hoped the meeting at Kelty Community Centre will be the […]

When A Robot Writes About Investing In Robots

Will Robots Replace the Human Workforce?

Robotics and artificial intelligence (NYSE: AI ) technology is developing rapidly , and its impact is already noticeable across a variety of industries including industrial manufacturing, self-driving cars, surgical robots, and drones.

Much of the discussion around robots & AI has focuses on the emerging technology’s impact on the work force – namely, if robots will lead to the end of jobs. In an effort to tackle this question, McKinsey Global Institute recently produced a report called " A Future That Works: Automation, Employment, and Productivity ." 1 In the report, the authors noted […]

Universal basic income ‘worrying and expensive’

Universal basic income 'worrying and expensive'

Prof Patrick Minford says a "tremendous tax" would be needed to pay for the idea Paying everyone in Wales a universal basic income would be a "worrying and extremely expensive socialist experiment", an economist has warned.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said the idea was "attractive" and could help tackle poverty and inequality.

Supporters said it would help unemployed people who fear taking a job would lead to cuts in their benefits.But Patrick Minford from Cardiff University’s Business School said it was "not a workable scheme".Under Universal Basic Income (UBI) everyone would receive the same sum of money regardless of whether […]

French socialist primary: ‘utopian’ Hamon or ‘fighter’ Valls?

French socialist primary: 'utopian' Hamon or 'fighter' Valls?

Benoit Hamon (L) shakes the hand of ex-PM Manuel Valls (C). Photo: Bertrand Guay/POOL/AFP France’s Socialists face a stark choice in Sunday’s presidential primary between diehard leftist Benoit Hamon and reformist ex-prime minister Manuel Valls.

Hamon, the surprise winner of the first round of the Socialists’ primary last weekend, has wooed voters with his staunchly leftist proposals, notably the idea of a universal basic income, dismissed as a "mirage" by Valls.

He also wants to legalise marijuana and tax robots that replace workers.The 49-year-old Hamon, round-faced with a schoolboy haircut, has a crowd-pleasing eagerness that contrasts with the square-jawed assertiveness of […]

Reason for loss of US manufacturing jobs complicated

Reason for loss of US manufacturing jobs complicated

The statistics are quite startling — since 2000, the United States has lost 5 million manufacturing jobs.

Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Wisconsin account for nearly a third of the manufacturing jobs lost, with wage levels in the manufacturing sector in these states either flat or sharply down.

It should not come as a surprise to anyone that President Donald Trump, who promised to bring jobs back to America, carried all five of these states.So what accounts for this huge loss of jobs? Some of it was the result of U.S. companies shifting manufacturing operations to countries with lower wages. Maytag […]

reader: My take on the Basic Income

Re: Here’s what I’d like to see discussed about UBI

I’m not pro-UBI, I just don’t see what alternative there is if we get to the point where robots can replace a good portion of the population. We may have a preview of this in a decade when truck, bus, taxi and Uber drivers start losing their jobs en masse. If all 3.5 million truck driving jobs in the US went the unemployment rate would go up by 3%. Wouldn’t happen overnight, but what sort of jobs will be created for these people that they’re qualified to do, […]