What Is Universal Basic Employment?

You may have heard of universal basic income (UBI), the policy that provides citizens with a minimum income. But have you heard of universal basic employment?

A New Approach to Work

Policies that ensure public access to jobs that pay a livable wage, regardless of the state of the broader economy, have already been tested in countries like Argentina, Austria, and India. Now, one such program is coming stateside, with a Cleveland-based pilot.

Beginning in 2026, the Cleveland pilot will guarantee 100 residents a job that pays $50,000 a year for three years, plus benefits, such as healthcare. The idea is that these workers would be compensated so they wouldn’t need to tap any public assistance programs, per the pilot’s calculations based on data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

By primarily offering positions that benefit the community and local economy, the pilot hopes to boost participants’ job satisfaction as well, its founder told Business Insider.

Great Expectations

UBE could potentially create a more stable foundation for families than UBI, since steady work can give people a sense of purpose on top of income. Proponents also argue it would be a boon for businesses, helping to shore up productivity and reduce turnover. We’ll see what the data from this first pilot in America will tell us.

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