Carl the clothier owns a large garment factory on an isolated island. Carl's factory is the only
Question:
Carl the clothier owns a large garment factory on an isolated island. Carl's factory is the only source of employment for most of the islanders, and thus Carl acts as a monopsonist. The supply curve for garment workers is given by 1 = 80w, where is the number of workers hired and w is their hourly wage. Assume also that Carl's labor demand (marginal revenue product) curve is given by 1-400-40 MRP.
a. How many workers will Carl hire to maximize his profits, and what wage will he pay?
b. Assume now that the government implements a minimum wage law covering all garment workers. How many workers will Carl now hire, and how much unemployment will there be if the minimum wage is set at $4 per hour?
c. Graph your results.
d. How does a minimum wage imposed under monopsony differ in results as compared with a minimum wage imposed under perfect competition? (Assume the minimum wage is above the market-determined wage.)
Step by Step Answer:
Microeconomic Theory Basic Principles And Extensions
ISBN: 9780324585377
10th Edition
Authors: Walter Nicholson, Christopher M. Snyder