Abstract
This article explores the experiences of employed and unemployed Ontario Basic Income recipients in the Hamilton and Brantford pilot site. Integrating data from surveys and interviews, the self-reported outcomes of both groups are summarized. These outcomes pertain to employment, physical health, mental health, use of health services, food security, housing stability, financial well-being and social activities. The article highlights the difference in the degree of improvements between recipients who were working before and during the pilot versus those who were not employed at both times. Its broad conclusion is that both groups reported significant benefits, but it was recipients who were continuously employed that reported the greatest improvements. This suggests that basic income could be an important policy tool to improve the lives of low-income and precarious workers in Ontario and perhaps elsewhere.
Funding source: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Award Identifier / Grant number: 20010970
Funding source: Hamilton Community Foundation
Award Identifier / Grant number: 20190753
Funding source: McMaster University, The School of Labour Studies
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Wayne Lewchuk, Professor Emeritus of Labour Studies and Economics at McMaster University, for his valuable guidance and support.
Research funding: This study was made possible through funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (20010970), the Hamilton Community Foundation (20190753) and McMaster University.
Appendix A: Demographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents
Our survey was open to all 1,000 low-income individuals from Hamilton-Brantford who purportedly enrolled in the Ontario Basic Income pilot. A total of 217 individuals participated in our survey. However, of those 217 participants, we only discuss the responses of those 147 participants who reported working before and during the pilot and not working before and during the pilot. Their demographic characteristics are described below.
| Residence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed before and during pilot | Unemployed before and during pilot | |
| Hamilton | 85.29 | 75.56 |
| Brantford | 14.71 | 24.44 |
| Total | 102 | 45 |
Almost 85% of the continuously employed group and 75% of the continuously unemployed group reported living in Hamilton while receiving basic income.
| Gender | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed before and during pilot | Unemployed before and during pilot | |
| Female | 53.92 | 59.09 |
| Male | 44.12 | 40.91 |
| Other | 1.96 | 0.00 |
| Total | 102 | 44 |
Almost 54% of the continuously employed group was female and 44% was male. Nearly 60% of the unemployed group was female, and the rest were male.
| Minority | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed before and during pilot | Unemployed before and during pilot | |
| No | 88.89 | 92.31 |
| Yes | 11.11 | 7.69 |
| Total | 99 | 39 |
Reflecting the demographic composition of Hamilton-Brantford, only about 10 percent of respondents from both groups identified themselves as part of a racialized minority group.
| Age | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed before and during pilot | Unemployed before and during pilot | |
| 18–24 | 4.90 | 0.00 |
| 25–34 | 41.18 | 13.64 |
| 35–44 | 30.39 | 22.73 |
| 45–54 | 17.65 | 40.91 |
| >55 | 5.88 | 22.73 |
| Total | 102 | 44 |
Slightly over 70% of the continuously employed group were between the ages of 25 and 44 while 63% of the continuously unemployed group were between 35 and 54.
| Education | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed before and during pilot | Unemployed before and during pilot | |
| Below high school | 0.98 | 22.22 |
| High school | 25.49 | 33.33 |
| College/Trade school | 34.31 | 37.78 |
| Bachelor’s | 38.24 | 4.44 |
| Master’s | 0.98 | 2.22 |
| Total | 102 | 45 |
Almost 72% of the employed group had a college certificate or bachelor’s degree while 71% of the unemployed group had a high school or college education.
| Duration on pilot | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed before and during pilot | Unemployed before and during pilot | |
| 5–12 months | 24.51 | 42.22 |
| 13–16 months | 35.29 | 26.67 |
| 17–21 months | 26.47 | 13.33 |
| 21–26 months | 13.73 | 17.78 |
| Total | 102 | 45 |
Almost 60% of the employed group received basic income anywhere between 5 and 16 months, while nearly 69% of the unemployed group received basic income anywhere from 5 to 16 months.
| Monthly basic income | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed before and during pilot | Unemployed before and during pilot | |
| <$699 | 6.86 | 8.89 |
| $700–1399 | 55.88 | 20.00 |
| $1400–1999 | 32.35 | 64.44 |
| >$2000 | 4.90 | 6.67 |
| Total | 102 | 45 |
Nearly 56% of the employed group received anywhere between $700 and $1399 each month, while 64% of the unemployed group received $1400 to $1999.
| Marital status | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed before and during pilot | Unemployed before and during pilot | |
| Single | 62.38 | 70.45 |
| Married/Common law | 14.85 | 18.18 |
| Divorced/Separated | 21.78 | 9.09 |
| Widowed | 0.99 | 2.27 |
| Total | 101 | 44 |
At least two-thirds of the survey respondents from the employed and unemployed groups were single.
| Living arrangement | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed before and during pilot | Unemployed before and during pilot | |
| Spouse/Partner | 45.10 | 13.33 |
| Parents/Grandparents | 3.92 | 2.22 |
| Own children | 11.76 | 22.22 |
| Children other than mine | 1.96 | 0.00 |
| Friend/Roommate | 18.63 | 6.67 |
| Live alone | 18.63 | 55.56 |
| Total | 102 | 45 |
Slightly less than half of the employed group reported living with a spouse or partner, while 55% of the unemployed group indicated living alone.
| OW or ODSP | ||
|---|---|---|
| Employed before and during pilot | Unemployed before and during pilot | |
| No | 81.82 | 8.89 |
| Yes | 18.18 | 91.11 |
| Total | 99 | 45 |
Majority of the employed group was not accessing OW or ODSP before the pilot, while most of the unemployed group was.
References
Banting, K. (1997). The social policy divide: The welfare state in Canada and the United States. In K. Banting, G. Hoberg, & R. Simeon (Eds.), Degrees of freedom: Canada and the United States in a changing world (pp. 267–309). Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.Search in Google Scholar
Bliss, D. (2020). Universal basic income is gathering support. Has it ever worked – and could it work in the UK? National geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2020/05/universal-basic-income-is-gathering-support-has-it-ever-worked-and [Accessed 20 May 2020].Search in Google Scholar
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.Search in Google Scholar
Bruun, E. P., & Duka, A. (2018). Artificial intelligence, jobs and the future of work: Racing with the machines. Basic Income Studies, 13(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1515/bis-2018-0018.Search in Google Scholar
Burton, M. (2016). The politics of austerity: A recent history. London: Palgrave.10.1057/978-1-137-48285-3Search in Google Scholar
Campeau, G. (2005). From UI to EI: Waging war on the welfare state. Vancouver: UBC Press.Search in Google Scholar
Department of Labour. (1970). Unemployment insurance in the 70’s. Ottawa: Department of Labour.Search in Google Scholar
Fortin, P. (1999). The Canadian standard of living: Is there a way up? Toronto: C.D. Howe Institute.Search in Google Scholar
Government of Canada. (2012). Regulations amending the employment insurance regulations. Retrieved from http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2012/2012-12-19/html/sor-dors261-eng.html.Search in Google Scholar
Government of Canada. (2020). Canada emergency response benefit statistics. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/claims-report.html.Search in Google Scholar
Government of Ontario. (2017). Ontario basic income pilot. Retrieved from https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-basic-income-pilot.Search in Google Scholar
Graefe, P. (2015). Social assistance in Ontario. In D. Beland, & K. White (Eds.), Welfare reform in Canada: Provincial Social Assistance in Comparative Perspective (pp. 111–126). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.10.3138/9781442609730-009Search in Google Scholar
Guest, D. (2003). The emergence of social security in Canada. Vancouver: UBC Press.Search in Google Scholar
HRDC. (1994). Improving social security in Canada. Hull: HRDC. Discussion Paper.Search in Google Scholar
ILO. (2015). Inventory of labour market policy measures in the EU 2008–2013: The crisis and beyond. Geneva: International Labour Office.Search in Google Scholar
ISAC. (2020). Fact sheet: Social assistance update. Income Security Advocacy Centre. Canada: Toronto, Ontario. Retrieved from http://incomesecurity.org/policy-advocacy/social-assistance-update/.Search in Google Scholar
Ivison, J. (2020). Amid staggering unemployment rate, public servants handling EI claims are unsung heroes. National Post. Retrieved from https://nationalpost.com/opinion/john-ivison-amid-staggering-unemployment-rate-public-servants-processing-ei-claims-are-the-unsung-heroes [Accessed 1 June 2020].Search in Google Scholar
Jackson, A. (2010). Beware the Canadian austerity model. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.Search in Google Scholar
Jackson, A., & Schetagne, S. (2010). Is EI working for Canada’s unemployed? Analyzing the great recession. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.Search in Google Scholar
Jeffords, S. (2018). PC government says Ontario’s basic income pilot project is ‘failing’. Global News. Retrieved from https://globalnews.ca/news/4376849/basic-income-pilot-end-date-ontario/ [Accessed 8 August 2018].Search in Google Scholar
Kassam, A. (2018). Ontario’s new conservative government to end basic income experiment. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/01/ontarios-new-conservative-government-to-end-basic-income-experiment [Accessed 10 April 2020].Search in Google Scholar
Kneebone, R., & White, K. (2015). An overview of social assistance trends in Canada. In D. Beland, & K. White (Eds.), Welfare reform in Canada: Provincial Social Assistance in Comparative Perspective (pp. 53–92). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.10.3138/9781442609730-007Search in Google Scholar
Krippendorff, K. (2018). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (4th ed.). London: Sage.Search in Google Scholar
Leonard, A. (2013). Employment insurance: Ten changes in 2012–13. Ottawa: Library of Parliament. Retrieved from https://lop.parl.ca/sites/PublicWebsite/ default/en_CA/ ResearchPublications/201303E.Search in Google Scholar
Lim, S. (2020). Is this the end of Canada’s employment insurance system as we know it? Retrieved from https://ipolitics.ca/2020/04/30/is-this-the-end-of-canadas-employment-insurance-system-as-we-know-it/.Search in Google Scholar
Mason, G. (2018). Ontario’s scrapped basic-income pilot project was actually deeply flawed. Maclean’s. Retrieved from https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/ontarios-scrapped-basic-income-pilot-project-was-actually-deeply-flawed/ [Accessed 15 April 2020].Search in Google Scholar
Ontario Ministry of Finance. (2016). 2016 Ontario budget. Retrieved from https://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/budget/ontariobudgets/2016/.Search in Google Scholar
Pal, L. (1985). Revision and retreat: Canadian unemployment insurance, 1971–1981. In J.S. Ismael (Ed.), Canadian welfare policy: Federal and provincial dimensions (pp. 75–104). Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press.Search in Google Scholar
Pal, L. (1988). State, class and bureaucracy: Canadian unemployment insurance and public policy. Kingston: McGill Queen’s University Press.Search in Google Scholar
Patten, S. (2013). The triumph of neoliberalism within partisan conservatism in Canada. In J. Farney, & D. Rayside (Eds.), Conservatism in Canada (pp. 59–78). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.10.3138/9781442666313-007Search in Google Scholar
Pedlar, A., Arai, S., Yuen, F., & Fortune, D. (2018). Community re-entry: Uncertain futures for women leaving prison. New York: Routledge.10.4324/9781351204477Search in Google Scholar
Porter, A. (2015). Austerity, social program restructuring, and the erosion of democracy: Examining the 2012 employment insurance reforms. Canadian Review of Social Policy, 71, 21–52.Search in Google Scholar
Rice, J. J., & Prince, M. J. (2013). Changing politics of Canadian social policy. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.Search in Google Scholar
Sarlo, C. (2001). Measuring poverty in Canada. Critical issues bulletin. Vancouver: Fraser Institute.Search in Google Scholar
Segal, H. D. (2016). Finding a better way: A basic income pilot project for Ontario. Discussion Paper. Toronto: Massey College in the University of Toronto. Retrieved from https://files.ontario.ca/discussionpaper_nov3_english_final.pdf.Search in Google Scholar
Segal, H. D. (2019).Bootstraps need boots: One Tory’s lonely fight to end poverty in Canada. Vancouver: UBC Press.Search in Google Scholar
Standing, G. (2013). Why a basic income is necessary for a right to work. Basic Income Studies, 7(2), 19–40.10.1515/bis-2013-0007Search in Google Scholar
Standing, G. (2016). The precariat, class and progressive politics: A response. Global Labour Journal, 7(2), 189–200. https://doi.org/10.15173/glj.v7i2.2940.Search in Google Scholar
Taekema, D. (2020). Hamilton-Niagara part of government pilot project to contract out employment services. CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/contract-employment-services-ontario-1.5466860 [Accessed 18 February 2020].Search in Google Scholar
Torry, M. (2019). The definition and characteristics of basic income. In M. Torry (Ed.), The Palgrave international handbook of basic income (pp. 15–30). London: Palgrave.10.1007/978-3-030-23614-4_2Search in Google Scholar
Widerquist, K. (2018). A critical analysis of basic income experiences for researchers, policymakers, and citizens. London: Palgrave.10.1007/978-3-030-03849-6Search in Google Scholar
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
