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What impact does UBI have on technology and companies? In theory I suppose more people will be able to afford a basic phone, banking, transportation etc so mor
by fudged71 10y ago
What impact does UBI have on technology and companies?
In theory I suppose more people will be able to afford a basic phone, banking, transportation etc so more eyeballs on ads and users of services. By getting out of the poverty trap, more people can be employed so even more expendable income on technology.
Will companies pay their employees less if their basic needs are covered? Then automation would be less of a cost advantage. Cheaper labour could mean a shift of manufacturing back to the US?
- justinv 10y agoThough, on the contrary, you'd have to now pay people X amount above BI to get them to do menial jobs. i.e. if you get $10k from BI or can get $12k from working building widgets, you'd have to decide if that time spent making widgets is worth the $2k extra vs the opportunity cost of leisure or painting or whatever.
- dragonwriter 10y ago> i.e. if you get $10k from BI or can get $12k from working building widgets, you'd have to decide if that time spent making widgets is worth the $2k extra That's not how UBI works. The "U" in "UBI" is "unconditional", referring (among other things [0]) to the fact that it isn't means-tested; that is, it isn't reduced for outside income. So, if you have $10k in UBI and there are jobs making $12k building widgets, you don't get $2k extra from working, you get $12k extra [1]. [0] It also refers to the absence of behavior testing, which is a common feature alongside means testing of public welfare programs. [1] Before taxes. Income (including payroll) taxes will reduce this, but you don't lose UBI dollar-for-dollar (or, for that matter, at all) with outside income.