Should unemployment benefits be free to collect?

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This may be a controversial topic, one you may presuppose is going to be unbalanced — it’s not.

I live by the beach and tourism during summer takes a toll on the environment. There is trash everywhere. People discard their child’s dirty diapers and the remnants of smashed glass-bottles that used to hold alcohol are strewn across the paths.

As I was walking my dog through this proverbial minefield I saw a group of volunteers in high-visibility gear, trying to clean up the mess from the previous weekend’s footfall.

They were unpaid, so they only have limited free time and often it’s not enough to complete the work that’s needed.

I immediately thought, how would an economist solve this problem? What group of people do we already pay, but yet don’t have any responsibility for work?

The answer, those who are currently unemployed. Continue reading....