Livable Incomes, and other ways to fix unemployment

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Has the Federal Emergency Unemployment Insurance contributed to vacant jobs being unfulfilled? Depending upon who you talk to, the response will be different. One thing we do know, unemployment benefits are temporary and does not provide long term stability compared to employment. Millions of jobs are left unfilled, and here are a few reasons why:

The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009. That rate has not kept up with the pace of inflation while corporation revenue increase drastically. An employee at a Missouri hospital received a $6 coupon after surviving COVID. The CEO of the firm that owns the hospital received $30 million. CEOs of public U.S. firms earn 320 times as much as workers. Even some CEOS say the gap is too big. (nbcnews.com)

In this capitalistic society, money does not trickle from the bottom upward. It doesn’t even trickle down from the top in some cases. COVID has opened the eyes of the poor like nothing ever seen in this lifetime. Income, housing, health care, civil rights, and education are all issues that let America know, you are either sitting at the table, or you are part of the menu. Time for all of us to bring our own chairs, pull up, and break bread together in the spirit of reconciliation. Here’s how we can achieve that and close the wealth gap:

See also a previous post on the state governors who are ending federal unemployment benefits early for their residents. Email Kelvin Lassiter, Policy Analyst at klassiter@nationalhomeless.org for more details.

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime. Well, you have to give people life, in order to receive the revolution of redemption. Guaranteed Income does just that, give people the chance to dream again. That’s what former mayor of Stockton, CA, Michael Tubbs, had in mind when the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED) was launched.

Based on a philosophy from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr that economic freedom can help eradicate poverty, Stockton, CA, was the first major American city to take measures into their own hands. One hundred twenty-five Stockton residents were randomly selected to receive $500 a month in a two-year pilot program. The cash was completely unconditional, with no strings attached and no work requirements. A report on the project’s results found that:

  • Guaranteed income reduced income volatility, or the month-to-month income fluctuations that households face.
  • Unconditional cash enabled recipients to find full-time employment.
  • Recipients of guaranteed income were healthier, showing less depression and anxiety and enhanced wellbeing.
  • The guaranteed income alleviated financial scarcity creating new opportunities for self-determination, choice, goal-setting, and risk-taking.

More cities in the United States are launching programs because their constituents need it. Guaranteed Income can eliminate debate on raising funds for social services through tax credits, temporary direct payments until the pandemic is over, or raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Private funding has deeply influenced this bi-partisan movement. What will it take to influence Congress, maybe mass eviction due to the lingering pandemic economic downturn? The people have the power, and decisions have consequences, so do elections.  Want unhoused people off the streets? Guaranteed Income is a good start.