THE UNIVERSAL JOB GUARANTEE EXPERIMENT IN AUSTRIA

 The Coronavirus pandemic has been able to bring down even the most powerful economies in the world.


More than 37 million people had filed for unemployment insurance in 2020 and forced countries to implement new strategies and take drastic steps to ensure the safety of their economies amidst the pandemic. One of the boldest moves the world witnessed came from Austria when it unveiled the first universal jobs guarantee experiment.


In the coming three years, residents of a small Austrian town (Marienthal) will be guaranteed paid work, irrespective if they are able to find a job or not. Each participant in this experiment shall receive a living wage based on occupation, industry, and experience.


To receive this minimum wage the participant will have to have been unemployed for a minimum of nine months. 

62 people have been able to join so far and the average age range is 44.


Participants will be given vocational courses/training for the first two months to prepare them for the job market. 


By December 2021, the participants had already signed work contracts. Most of the participants were hired by the government's public employment service in fields like carpentry, gardening, and home renovation. 

Such occupations allow participants to gain knowledge and express creative thinking.  


A very small percentage joined the private sector. To promote the initiative and to encourage the private sector to hire more candidates from the program, the government pays the participant's entire salary for the first three months. and will pay two-thirds of the salary for the next nine months.


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