The objective of this article is to determine, as conclusively as possible, if the implementation of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) would lead to a significant reduction in the working age population labour supply. If this were true, implementation of a UBI may not be sustainable. To do this, we will compile empirical evidence from studies over the last few decades on the effects of implementation of a UBI on employment. We apply the PRISMA methodology to better judge their validity, which ensures maximum reliability of the results by avoiding biases and making the work reproducible. Given that the methodologies used in these studies are diverse, they are reviewed to contextualize the results taking into account the possible limitations detected in these methodologies. While many authors have been writing about this issue citing experiences or experiments, the added value of this article is that it performs a systematic review following a widely tested scientific methodology. Over 1200 documents that discuss the UBI/employment relationship have been reviewed. We found a total of 50 empirical cases, of which 18 were selected, and 38 studies with contrasted empirical evidence on this relationship. The results speak for themselves: Despite a detailed search, we have not found any evidence of a significant reduction in labour supply. Instead, we found evidence that labour supply increases globally among adults, men and women, young and old, and the existence of some insignificant and functional reductions to the system such as a decrease in workers from the following categories: Children, the elderly, the sick, those with disabilities, women with young children to look after, or young people who continued studying. These reductions do not reduce the overall supply since it is largely offset by increased supply from other members of the community.
ResumenEn este trabajo mostramos los cambios más relevantes en la información cuantificable disponible para la investigación de la Economía Mundial. Tras una revisión histórica, se constata la emergencia de una nueva forma de entender la generación, análisis y publicación de datos e indicadores tradicionales, así como la proliferación de una nueva generación de índices complejos, en muchos casos aún en fase de conceptualización. Concluimos con una reflexión sobre los desafíos que investigadores y docentes debemos afrontar formando parte de este movimiento que puede conducir a una redefinición técnica y metodológica de la investigación y de la política económica mundial.abstRact In this paper we show the most relevant changes in the available quantifiable information for the research on world economy. After a historical review, we identify the emergence of a new way of understanding the generation, analysis and publication of traditional data and indicators, as well as the proliferation of a new generation of complex indexes, in many cases still in the conceptualization phase. We conclude with a reflection on the challenges that researchers and teachers must face as part of this movement that can lead to a technical and methodological redefinition of research and global economic policy.
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