--- title: "Study: Universal Basic Income Won’t Make People Work Less" description: "A two-year universal basic income study in Finland concluded that in 2017, those who received payments worked the same amount and were healthier overall." date: "2019-02-08" modified: "2019-02-08" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/study-universal-basic-income-finland-work-less" categories: - "Finance" - "Future Society" - "Universal Basic Income" tags: - "finland" - "UBI" - "universal basic income" - "universal income" --- # Study: Universal Basic Income Won’t Make People Work Less ![A two-year universal basic income study in Finland concluded that in 2017, those who received payments worked the same amount and were healthier overall.]() *\Image: NikolayFrolochkin/Tag Hartman-Simkins\* ## Universal Basic Income Basic income would give everyone a base amount of money every month, regardless of employment status. A common criticism: without an incentive, people would work less. But new research shows that those worries might be unfounded. A two-year study in Finland found that a randomly selected group of people who received a sum of money from the government every month worked no less than a control group — bolstering the case for a basic income as the world economy transitions to greater automation. ## Almost Identical The Basic Income Experiment Evaluation Project, run by the Finnish government and a number of local universities and think tanks, concluded in December 2018. Now the [preliminary results]() are in: in 2017, a randomly-selected group of 2000 Finns who received 56o euros (about $635) worked on average the same amount as compared to a control group that didn't receive any funds. The study did find some differences between the two groups. Since the trial group's basic income replaced unemployment benefits, for instance, the control group ended up receiving less "social assistance and sickness allowance," the [official report reads](). ## The Finnish Line But that might not necessarily be a bad sign — being guaranteed an income seems to make people less worried about money. That means less stress and healthier lives — and doesn't seem to affect productivity. "Those in the test group experienced significantly fewer problems related to health, stress and ability to concentrate than those in the control group," concludes the report. " According to the results, those in the test group were also considerably more confident in their own future and their ability to influence societal issues than the control group." **READ MORE:** [Universal income study finds money for nothing won’t make us work less]() \[*New Scientist*\] ***More on universal basic income: [Universal Basic Income: UBI Pilot Programs Around the World]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()