yhdyste

Yhdyste, also known as Finland's Basic Income Experiment, was a social experiment conducted in Finland from 2017 to 2019. The aim of the experiment was to provide a monthly basic income of 560 euros to a group of 2,000 unemployed individuals. The experiment was designed to test whether a basic income would increase employment rates and well-being among the recipients.

The trial started in January 2017 and was initially intended to run for two years, but the government decided to fund it for only 24 months. The experiment was implemented across a third of Finland's municipalities, including the cities of Espoo, Helsinki, and Vantaa. The selected individuals were randomly chosen from the unemployment register.

During the trial, the recipients were required to report any changes in their employment status. However, the goal of the experiment was not to encourage the recipients to actively seek employment, but rather to allow them to live without the pressure of looking for work in order to survive.

Researchers from Oxford University were contracted to monitor the effects of the basic income. One of the key findings was that the basic income recipients reported better well-being and lower stress levels compared to those in the control group. The experimental group also had more sex, smoked less, and reported fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.

One of the key conclusions drawn from the experiment was that the basic income did not significantly affect employment rates or the recipients' willingness to find work. However, the benefits of the basic income on mental health and overall well-being were pronounced. Despite the cancellation of the trial, the Finnish government has maintained a commitment to conducting further research into the effects of basic income on society.