Finland has started a radical¹ experiment: It's giving 2,000 citizens a guaranteed income, with funds that keep flowing whether participants work or not. 

 

近期，芬兰开始实行一项激进改革试验：为2000名公民提供年保障收入，且无论这2000名公民工作与否，保障资金都将照常支付。

 

The program, which kicks off this month, is one of the first efforts to test a "universal basic income." Participants will receive €560 ($587) a month -- money that is guaranteed regardless of income, wealth or employment status. 

 

The idea is that a universal income offers workers greater security, especially as technological² advances reduce the need for human labor³. It will also allow unemployed⁴ people to pick up odd jobs without losing their benefits. 

 

The initial program will run for a period of two years. Participants were randomly⁵ selected, but had to be receiving unemployment benefits or an income subsidy⁶. The money they are paid through the program will not be taxed. 

 

If the program is successful, it could be expanded to include all adult Finns.

 

The Finnish government thinks the initiative could save money in the long run. The country's welfare system is complex and expensive to run, and simplifying it could reduce costly⁷ bureaucracy. 

 

The change could also encourage more jobless people to look for work, because they won't have to worry about losing unemployment benefits. Some unemployed workers currently avoid part time jobs because even a small income boost could result in their unemployment benefits being canceled.

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