Finland to trial basic income for the unemployed

Two-year experiment will see out-of-work Finns receive €560 each month – even if they find a job

Finnish flag, Finland
Finland topped the list for the second consecutive year
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Finland is to replace unemployment benefits with a guaranteed basic income in a trial the government hopes will end the cycle of welfare dependence said to keep people out of work.

In the first European test of its kind, out-of-work Finns will receive a monthly €560 (£473) payment, equal to the current level of unemployment benefit but with no conditions attached. It will continue to be paid even after receiving a job.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More