Author Question: At any wage rate, the quantity of welders willing to work is less than the quantity of tomato ... (Read 76 times)

mwit1967

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 501
At any wage rate, the quantity of welders willing to work is less than the quantity of tomato pickers. Why?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Why does a profit-maximizing firm hire labor up to the point where the value of marginal product equals the wage rate?
 
  What will be an ideal response?



ghepp

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 361
Answer to Question 1

For the welder the cost of acquiring his or her skill is much higher than the cost incurred by the tomato picker. The cost of learning how to pick fruits and vegetables is so low that the supply of individuals who can do that activity is quite large. Welders must learn their trade on the job and/or through vocational training, which raises the costs of learning this skill and decreases the supply of welders.

Answer to Question 2

If a company stopped adding workers at the point where the wage rate was less than the value of marginal product of labor, the firm could hire more workers and its profit would increase. Why? Because the return from the workers, the value of marginal product, exceeds the cost of hiring the workers. Since the marginal product of labor decreases as more workers are employed, as more workers are added, the marginal product of labor and hence the value of marginal product decreases. Eventually the firm will reach the point at which the value of marginal product equals the wage rate. If still more workers are employed, then the wage the firm must pay the workers exceeds the value of marginal product. These workers would contribute losses to the firm. So only when the value of marginal product equals the wage rate can the firm not increase its profit by changing the quantity of workers it employs.



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

Women are two-thirds more likely than men to develop irritable bowel syndrome. This may be attributable to hormonal changes related to their menstrual cycles.

Did you know?

Elderly adults are at greatest risk of stroke and myocardial infarction and have the most to gain from prophylaxis. Patients ages 60 to 80 years with blood pressures above 160/90 mm Hg should benefit from antihypertensive treatment.

Did you know?

There are major differences in the metabolism of morphine and the illegal drug heroin. Morphine mostly produces its CNS effects through m-receptors, and at k- and d-receptors. Heroin has a slight affinity for opiate receptors. Most of its actions are due to metabolism to active metabolites (6-acetylmorphine, morphine, and morphine-6-glucuronide).

Did you know?

The calories found in one piece of cherry cheesecake could light a 60-watt light bulb for 1.5 hours.

Did you know?

Amphetamine poisoning can cause intravascular coagulation, circulatory collapse, rhabdomyolysis, ischemic colitis, acute psychosis, hyperthermia, respiratory distress syndrome, and pericarditis.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library