Universal Basic Income Projects: A Social Policy to Address the Employment Automation Process

The benefits and challenges of 15 Universal Basic Income (UBI) and Basic Income (IB) projects implemented in the world will be presented. The UBI is defined as a universal income or stipend that is received unconditionally by every population in a country or state, regardless of their ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, age or other conditions. The IB is an income or stipend that is conditionally received by a group of people in a state or country. The problem, objectives, justification, theoretical framework and design of the research on UBI projects will be presented. The research problem is contextualized by integrating authors who predict that between 2020 and 2030, 47% of jobs could disappear in the United States given the ongoing automation process. This situation makes imminent the creation of decent life policies such as the UBI. The objectives of this research are: 1) To analyze 15 UBI or IB projects implemented in different continents. 2) Identify the benefits of these projects. The methodology consisted of a documentary analysis. We collected research published between 2010 and 2024 in academic databases. Also state reports published in governmental and organizational webpages. The inclusion criteria were: 1) UBI or IB projects implemented in the past 15 years, and 2) UBI or IB programs implemented at least one year in each continent. One of the relevant results is that most of the projects analyzed are IB with particular political purposes. Most of these projects function as a supplementary social subsidy ('social welfare'). Some of the benefits are: 1) improving health, 2) increasing schooling, and 3) reducing the poverty rate. In conclusion, most of the projects analyzed are aimed at addressing short-term social welfare political agendas. Contrary to the UBI described as an equitable and social justice policy that unconditionally benefits all populations.