The coronavirus outbreak continues to wreak havoc on the world economy and Pope Francis is proposing a solution.
The pope penned an Easter letter calling for a universal basic income for workers affected by the coronavirus including “street vendors, recyclers,
carnies, small farmers, construction workers, dressmakers, the different, kinds of caregivers.”
The pope addresses these groups directly, “You who are informal, working on your own or in the grassroots economy, you have no steady income to get you through this hard time…and the lockdowns are becoming unbearable,” the pope writes.
He explains why this time is especially critical and how a universal basic income would help alleviate the effects of the coronavirus.
“This may be the time to consider a universal basic wage which would acknowledge and dignify the noble, essential tasks you carry out,” the pope writes. “It would ensure and concretely achieve the ideal, at once so human and so Christian, of no worker without rights.”
The United States economy has been hit especially hard.
In the past three weeks, at least 16.8 million Americans have filed for unemployment, as IJR previously reported.
Experts continue to speculate when the economy will reopen and how fast it will bounce back when it does.
Trump is considering reopening the economy in sections as parts of the nation have been affected differently, as IJR previously reported.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is predicting the economy will come “roaring back” after the nation begins to roll back coronavirus restrictions.
While Mnuchin believes the economy will bounce back quickly, others are not so sure.
Billionaire Mark Cuban believes the process is going to be a lot slower than President Donald Trump realizes.
Trump reported he is prepared to make a decision on reopening the United States “reasonably soon.”
The pope closes the letter offering prayer to those suffering from the pandemic.
“Stand firm in your struggle and care for each other as brothers and sisters. I pray for you, I pray with you,” the pope writes.