Une étude menée aux États-Unis par deux universitaires montre que le revenu versé sans conditions aux habitant·e·s ne conduit pas à une baisse de l’emploi.

Résumé de l’article (en anglais) :

What are the effects of universal and permanent cash transfers on the labor market? Since 1982, all Alaskan residents have been entitled to a yearly cash dividend from the Alaska Permanent Fund. Using data from the Current Population Survey and a synthetic control method, we show that the dividend had no effect on employment, and increased part-time work by 1.8 percentage points (17 percent). Although theory and prior empirical research suggests that individual cash transfers decrease household labor supply, we interpret our results as evidence that general equilibrium effects of widespread and permanent transfers tend to offset this effect, at least on the extensive margin. Consistent with this story, we show suggestive evidence that tradable sectors experience employment reductions, while non-tradable sectors do not. Overall, our results suggest that a universal and permanent cash transfer does not significantly decrease aggregate employment.

Cette étude scientifique est assurément un argument d’importance pour lutter contre l’idée reçue voulant qu’une population recevant un revenu sans contrepartie déserte le marché du travail. Néanmoins il faut évidemment mettre en perspective le montant très faible de ce revenu en Alaska : 1 000 à 2 000 dollars par an n’octroient pas une grande marge de manoeuvre.

Via Basic Income News.

Illustration : CC 0 Darrin Henein.