Unemployed volunteers will be the workers of tomorrow

Résumé En

Increase of technological unemployment translates into more free time. Basic income is appearing in our countries but we don’t see it. Many people live as if they had a basic income. This decoupling between activity and income is already here. Unpaid volunteers make a significant contribution to society, estimated at 2% of GDP in several countries. They work for free according to their own choice, without being paid. In France, the social minima allow people to have an income, but this income has no connection with voluntary activities. These people benefit from an income decoupled from the activity. I carried out scientific research on the unemployed volunteers, in the island of Reunion, in the Indian Ocean. This qualitative survey provides elements of answers on the behavior of unemployed people who invest in volunteering. Are non-employment activities profitable? What are the motivations of the unemployed volunteers? Should we encourage volunteering during periods of unemployment? Unemployed people are often seen as useless, yet some of them organize themselves during this period of inactivity to make a contribution to society through volunteering. This approach is not always self-aware, yet it is by giving without waiting in return that the unemployed receive what they need. This study explicitly shows the link between giving and receiving during interviews, in accordance with the gift paradigm. Economic flows from the social minima make possible to create a voluntary dynamic. Maybe this new form of activity looks like what we will do when unemployment becomes widespread. In addition, the behavior of volunteers is a response to the barrier to the value of work, which is a blocking factor in establishing basic income. Putting income and unpaid activities in perspective appears to be a solution to the unemployment problem.