Basic income for Canadians : the key to a healthier, happier, more secure life for all

Summary: Canadian social programs were designed for a world in which most people graduated from high school, then found a permanent job with benefits that, barring unforeseen accidents, they would hold until they retired with a pension - all under the benevolent eye of their workplace union. In the last forty years, however, the labour market has fundamentally changed. Good, full-time jobs have been replaced by part-time or temporary work that pays lower wages, offers fewer benefits and rarely comes with union support. Economic insecurity is now a feature of the lives for large numbers of people. Even advanced degrees do not guarantee young workers stable, well-paying jobs. This new situation has given new life to an old idea - basic income. This book explores this idea from a Canadian perspective. Basic income was tested in Manitoba in the 1970s. This and other experiments with basic income have shown that it improves family and community health and well-being, leads to a healthier attachment to the labour market, improves financial resilience and encourages education and training.