Universal basic income does not stop people working: study
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People paid enough to live on without any conditions attached were no more likely to work fewer hours and reported better mental health than others, according to a German study published Wednesday.
In the research, 107 people were paid 1,200 euros ($1,320) a month for three years with no obligation to work, and compared against a control group of 1,580 people who received no such payment.
The study, the biggest to be conducted into "universal basic income" (UBI) in Germany, found that the group receiving the payments were also no more likely to withdraw from the labour market.
In addition, they reported higher life satisfaction and a greater feeling of control over their lives, according to the study published by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW).
Participants receiving the money spent about four hours more on social activities a week on average than those who did not, with the researchers writing that this might be linked to the extra cash in their pockets.
"Social activities are often accompanied by expenses -- be it for visits to restaurants, cinema tickets or joint leisure activities," they said.
Improvements lasted for the duration of the study, the researchers said, but participants receiving the UBI showed no change when it came to their political convictions or psychological traits such as willingness to take risks.
"Study participants acted differently not because their core personalities changed, but because their possibilities changed," said psychologist Susann Fiedler from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, one of the study's authors.
About a third of the monthly income was saved on average, with those getting the money saving twice as much on average as the control group.
Though similar ideas have long been discussed, UBI has been considered more seriously as a policy proposal in recent years as fears grow that the rise of artificial intelligence will lead to mass unemployment.
In 2017 and 2018, a study into UBI in Finland found similarly positive effects for wellbeing.