That's why instead of UBI I think we should make the government an employer of last resort for anyone who has exhausted their unemployment benefits and can't find a regular job. We essentially did that during the Great Depression through the WPA and other agencies. It functioned pretty well. There's no reason we couldn't do it again.
UBI seeks to avoid a permanent underclass by enhancing labor force mobility.
A long term policy of government as a mandatory employer of last resort with make-work jobs doing work for which there is no real demand is a route to creating a permanent underclass. (A short-term policy of government as mandatory employer of last resort in response to an unusual economic disruption where this serves to maintain skills in jobs for which market demand is expected to rebound, to provide bridging income support, and to leverage temporary labor surplus for public infrastructure is a different story. As is a permanent policy of government offering non-universal last-resort employment in regions or industries experiencing short-term downturn without an economy-wide collapse, though that obviously can't replace general universal safety-net programs.)
A UBI would certainly create a permanent underclass of unemployable people. Make-work jobs are better than no jobs at all because they effectively act as training. Some people need training in basic job skills like showing up on time and properly dressed for work, and following a supervisor's directions without mouthing off. And there are actually many simple jobs that would add value to our communities and will never be automated in our lifetime. Things like painting over graffiti or maintaining trails in public parks. It's a lot better to do that then pay people to sit around and stagnate.
I agree. Taxpayers should see a return for their welfare investment. The problem is, like in prisons, we now view manual labor as a cruel and unusual punishment yet this is the type of work we need the most in the US (rebuilding infrastructure)
