Consider a labor market in which employers do not provide health insurance benefits. In equilibrium, the market-clearing wage is W₀ and the total quantity of labor employed, measured as the number of workers hired, is L₀. From this starting point, imagine that the government requires that all employers provide workers health insurance coverage that costs them B dollars per worker. Using a simple supply and demand framework, complete the following sentences.

If the value that workers put on this new benefit is exactly B dollars, the market-clearing wage will ___________, and the number of workers employed will ___________

f the value that workers put on this new benefit is less than B dollars, the market-clearing wage will ______________ and the number of workers employed will _________________

Options (increase, decrease, stay the same)