Survey of 8,000 adults: 81% satisfied at work, UBI can't replace meaning of jobs
mikeflache · x · 2026-11-02
Oxford researcher Julian Jacobs released an arXiv paper, What is Work For? Labor, Politics, and Meaning in the Age of AI, based on an original cross-national survey of 8,234 working-age adults in the UK, US, Denmark, and India.
Key findings:
- 81% report job satisfaction; one third are intrinsically motivated, nearly a quarter value community and social aspects, 17% cite social status, and just over a quarter work mainly for money.
- Most would quit if offered their current salary as guaranteed income, but one fifth would stay even at up to 120% of salary; intrinsically motivated workers are most likely to refuse basic income at any level.
- The paper argues UBI may offset AI-driven wage displacement but cannot compensate for the psychological and social meaning of work — policymakers must replace a job's purpose, not just its paycheck.
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