

About this talk



EA Global 2017: Boston

As technology advances, fewer jobs require human labor. Governments from Canada to Finland are experimenting with a universal basic income scheme as a way to ensure that their constituents maintain some level of economic security, even in the face of shrinking employment opportunities. Meanwhile, a pilot study in Kenya is testing whether universal basic income can be an effective way to lift citizens out of poverty. Can guaranteeing everyone a minimum amount of money reduce or prevent poverty? What effect will a universal basic income have on the overall economy? Based at MIT, J-PAL is a network of economists who have run over 800 randomized controlled trials in over 80 countries to ensure that policy is informed by scientific evidence. Alison Fahey, Senior Policy Manager at J-PAL Global, will share insights from some of these randomized controlled trials that can help shed light on the possible impacts of universal basic income schemes.