--- title: "Andrew Yang: Coronavirus Outbreak Proves We Need Basic Income" description: "Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang argued that the coronavirus outbreak proves that we should be supporting people by paying them a basic income." date: "2020-03-12" modified: "2020-03-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/andrew-yang-coronavirus-outbreak-basic-income" categories: - "Finance" - "Future Society" - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Pathogens" - "Universal Basic Income" - "Viruses" tags: - "andrew yang" - "basic income" - "coronavirus" - "the digest" --- # Andrew Yang: Coronavirus Outbreak Proves We Need Basic Income ![Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang argued that the coronavirus outbreak proves that we should be supporting people by paying them a basic income.]() *\Image: Gage Skidmore\* ## Wrong Move Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang argued this week that the coronavirus outbreak illustrates the need for his campaign promise of a basic income, [*Inverse* reports](). The Federal Reserve cut interest rates in response to Wall Street experiencing record losses when markets opened on Monday. But in a [Monday tweet](), Yang argued that it was the wrong move. "Lower interest rates do nothing for the wage worker losing shifts and tips, for the mom stuck at home looking after her child because the school closed, for the restaurant or theatre losing business because people are staying in," he wrote. ## Paycheck to Paycheck Basic income, Yang believes, would ensure people don't lose everything during an economic downturn by providing them with enough money to get by — and keep markets rolling. "The only stimulus that would work is #UBIStimulus," Yang added in his tweet. ## Basic Income Basic income was a [core plank]() of Yang's presidential campaign. His plan was to provide every U.S. citizen with a $1,000 monthly "freedom dividend" to take the load off people who are experiencing financial insecurity. The concept isn't as far fetched as it sounds. The Canadian province of Ontario carried out a 2017 basic income pilot project, involving 4,000 people, which [became a big success]() with participants continuing to work and often moving into better, higher-paying jobs. **READ MORE:** [Andrew Yang says the coronavirus outbreak shows why we need basic income]() \[*Inverse*\] **More on basic income:** *[Given Basic Income, People Kept Working and Got Healthier]()* ## 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]()