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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/933552

Title
Basic income: a review of the issues
Author/Creator
Watts, Martin
Description
An unconditional Basic Income (BI) has been advocated to cure the problem of persistent unemployment and income insecurity. In this paper it is argued that a BI system raises important philosophical questions about individuals' rights and obligations to society. Also the impact of a BI on job creation, skill development, the wage structure, employment and living standards is problematic. Some supporters of the BI emphasise the environmentally friendly lifestyle and work changes that would result, but these views are rather speculative. A Job Guarantee (JG) designed to provide economic security for all workers through access to meaningful work would be better suited to meet unmet social needs and address growing environmental problems. The JG may represent a step in the transition to an unconditional BI, following the reassessment of what constitutes work in the light of rising labour productivity and falling average weekly hours of paid work.
Relation
New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations Vol. 27, Issue 1, p. 119-133
Relation
http://www.nzjournal.org/past_issues.htm
Date
2002
Publisher
E. R. Publishing
Keyword(s)
basic income;  unemployment;  income insecurity;  job guarantee
Resource Type
journal article
Identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/933552
Identifier
ISSN:0110-0637
Language
eng
Reviewed
Reviewed
 
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Subject
"New Zealand Journal of Industrial Relations"
 
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