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Chapter 5 The Demand for Labor Next page McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 5-2 1.Derived Demand for Labor Jump to first page 5-3 Derived Demand The demand for labor is a derived demand. That is, it is derived from the demand for the product or service that the labor is helping produce. The demand for hamburgers leads to the demand for hamburger workers. Demand for workers depends on: How the productive the workers are. The price of the product the workers are helping produce Jump to first page 5-4 2. A Firm’s Short-Run Production Function Jump to first page 5-5 Production Function A production function shows the relationship between inputs and outputs. Assume that only two inputs are used to make a product-- labor (L) and capital (K). o firm is hiring homogeneous inputs of labor In the short run, at least one input is fixed. The total product for a firm in the short run is: TPSR=f(K,L), where K is fixed. Jump to first page 5-6 Definitions Total product (TP) is the total product produced by each combination of labor and the fixed amount of capital. Marginal product (MP) is the change in total product associated with the addition of one more unit of labor. Average product (AP) is the total product divided by the number of units of labor. Jump to first page 5-7 The Law of Diminishing Returns Definition As additional units of a variable input are combined with a fixed input, at some point the additional output (i.e., marginal product) starts to diminish. Jump to first page • As5-8 units of variable input (labor) are added to a fixed input, total product will increase . . . • First at an increasing rate . . . • Then at a declining rate . . . • Note that the Total Product curve is smooth, indicating that labor can be increased by amounts of less than a single unit (it is a continuous function). Units of Variable Resource 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total Product (Output) 0 8 20 34 46 56 64 70 74 75 73 Law of Diminishing Returns Total Product Total Product 80 70 60 Marginal Average 50 Product Product 40 30 20 10 1 2 Jump to first page 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Quantity of Labor • The5-9 Marginal Product curve will initially increase (when TPC is increasing at an increasing rate), reach a maximum, and then decrease (as TPC increases at a decreasing rate). • The Average Product curve will have the same general form except that its maximum point will be at a higher output level. Units of Variable Resource 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total Product (Output) 0 8 20 34 46 56 64 70 74 75 73 Law of Diminishing Returns Average and/or Marginal Product 16 Marginal Product 12 Average Product Marginal Average Product Product ----8 12 14 12 10 8 6 4 1 -2 ----8 10 11.3 11.5 11.2 10.7 10 9.3 8.3 7.3 8 4 Important Note : MP always crosses AP at its maximum point. 1 2 Jump to first page 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Quantity of Labor 5-10 • Graphed together, one can see the relationship between the TP, MP, and AP curves more clearly. TP 80 Law of Diminishing Returns AP & MP Total Product 16 Marginal Product 70 12 60 50 Average Product 8 40 30 4 20 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Quantity of Labor Jump to first page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Quantity of Labor 5-11 TP & MP in the Short Run If MP is positive then TP is increasing. If MP is negative then TP is decreasing. TP reaches a maximum when MP=0 Jump to first page 5-12 AP & MP in the Short Run If MP > AP then AP is rising. If MP < AP then AP is falling. MP=AP when AP is maximized. Jump to first page 5-13 The Law of Diminishing Returns Reasons • Increasing Returns • Teamwork and Specialization MP Diminishing Returns Begins Fewer opportunities for teamwork and specialization X MP Jump to first page 5-14 The Three Stages of Production Stage I From zero units of the variable input to where AP is maximized Stage II From the maximum AP to where MP=0 Stage III From where MP=0 on Jump to first page 5-15 The Three Stages of Production Jump to first page 5-16 The Three Stages of Production In the short run, rational firms should only be operating in Stage II. Why Stage II? •Why not Stage III? •Firm uses more variable inputs to produce less output! •Why not Stage I? •Underutilizing fixed capacity. •Can increase output per unit by increasing the amount of the variable input. Jump to first page 5-17 Optimal Level of Variable Input Usage Consider the following short run production process. Where is Stage II? Labor Unit (L) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total Product (Q or TP) 0 10,000 25,000 45,000 60,000 70,000 75,000 78,000 80,000 Jump to first page Average Marginal Product Product (AP) (MP) 10,000 12,500 15,000 15,000 14,000 12,500 11,143 10,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 3,000 2,000 5-18 Optimal Level of Variable Input Usage Stage II Labor Total Average Marginal Unit Product Product Product (X) (Q or TP) (AP) (MP) 0 0 1 10,000 10,000 10,000 2 25,000 12,500 15,000 3 45,000 15,000 20,000 4 60,000 15,000 15,000 5 70,000 14,000 10,000 6 75,000 12,500 5,000 7 78,000 11,143 3,000 8 80,000 10,000 2,000 Jump to first page 5-19 Optimal Level of Variable Input Usage What level of input usage within Stage II is best for the firm? The answer depends upon how many units of output the firm can sell, the price of the product, and the monetary costs of employing the variable input. Jump to first page 5-20 3. Short-Run Demand for Labor: The Perfectly Competitive Seller Jump to first page 5-21 Hiring Decision Profit-maximizing firms will hire additional workers as long as each worker adds more to revenue than she costs. Marginal revenue product (MRP) is the change in total revenue that results from hiring of an additional worker. MRP= Marginal Revenue (MR) * MP Jump to first page 5-22 Hiring Decision Marginal wage cost (MWC) is the change in total wage cost of hiring an additional worker. The Hiring Rule: Hire additional workers until MRP = MWC. Jump to first page 5-23 Optimal Use of the Variable Input • How much labor or the variable input should the firm use in order to maximize profit. • The firm should employ an additional unit of labor as long as the extra revenue genereted until the extra revenue equals the extra cost. • Where MRP=MWC Jump to first page 5-24 Value of Marginal Product The value of marginal product (VMP) is the extra output in dollar terms that society gains when an extra worker is employed. VMP=Price * MP For a perfectly competitive seller, MR=Price. As a result, VMP = MRP for such firms. Jump to first page 5-25 Optimal Use of the Variable Input Marginal Revenue Product of Labor MRPL = (MPL)(MR) Marginal Wage Cost (MWC) Optimal Use of Labor Jump to first page TC MRCL = L MRPL = MWCL 5-26 Short-Run Demand for Perfectly Competitive Firm • In the numerical example below, a computer company uses both technology and data-entry operators to provide services in a perfectly competitive market. For each unit processed the firm receives $200 (4). • The Marginal Revenue Product schedule (6) indicates how hiring an additional operator affects the total revenue of the firm. OR MPR = 5*200 Units of Labor (L) (1) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total Product (TP) (units per week) (2) 0.0 5.0 9.0 12.0 14.0 15.5 16.5 17.0 MRP MP TR (Per Unit) Total Revenue (3) (4) (5) (6) ----5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $ 0 $1,000 $1,800 $2,400 $2,800 $3,100 $3,300 $3,400 ---1000 800 600 400 300 200 100 TP L Sales Price Jump to first page L 5-27 Short-Run Labor Demand Wage Rate • Since a profit-maximizing firm will only hire an additional worker 1000 only if the worker adds more to revenues than she adds to wage 800 costs, the MRP curve is the firm’s short run demand curve for labor. 600 • In the short-run, it will slope downward because the marginal product of labor falls as more of it 400 is used with a fixed amount of capital. 200 MRP=DL 1 2 Jump to first page 3 4 5 6 7 Quantity of Labor 5-28 Example 2 In order to determine the optimal input usage we assume that the firm operates in a perfectly competitive market for its input and its output. Product price, P=$2 Variable input price, w=$10,000 Jump to first page 5-29 Optimal Level of Variable Input Usage Labor Total Unit Product (X) (Q or TP) 0 0 1 10,000 2 25,000 3 45,000 4 60,000 5 70,000 6 75,000 7 78,000 8 80,000 Average Marginal Product Product (AP) (MP) 10,000 12,500 15,000 15,000 14,000 12,500 11,143 10,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 3,000 2,000 Total Revenue Product (TRP) 0 20,000 50,000 90,000 120,000 140,000 150,000 156,000 160,000 Marginal Revenue Product (MRP) 20,000 30,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 6,000 4,000 Jump to first page Total Labor Cost (TLC) 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 Marginal Labor Cost TRP(MLC) TLC 0 10,000 10,000 10,000 30,000 10,000 60,000 10,000 80,000 10,000 90,000 10,000 90,000 10,000 86,000 10,000 80,000 MRPMLC 10,000 20,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 -4,000 -6,000 5-30 Optimal Level of Variable Input Usage Labor Total Unit Product (X) (Q or TP) 0 0 1 10,000 2 25,000 3 45,000 4 60,000 Stage 5 70,000 6 75,000 II 7 78,000 8 80,000 Average Marginal Product Product (AP) (MP) 10,000 12,500 15,000 15,000 14,000 12,500 11,143 10,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 3,000 2,000 Total Revenue Product (TRP) 0 20,000 50,000 90,000 120,000 140,000 150,000 156,000 160,000 Marginal Revenue Product (MRP) 20,000 30,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 6,000 4,000 Jump to first page Total Labor Cost (TLC) 0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000 70,000 80,000 Marginal Labor Cost TRP(MLC) TLC 0 10,000 10,000 10,000 30,000 10,000 60,000 10,000 80,000 10,000 90,000 10,000 90,000 10,000 86,000 10,000 80,000 MRPMLC 10,000 20,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 -4,000 -6,000 5-31 Question for Thought 1. “Only that portion of the MP curve that lies below AP constitutes the basis for a firm’s short-run demand curve for labor.” Explain. Jump to first page 5-32 4. Short-Run Demand for Labor: The Imperfectly Competitive Seller Jump to first page 5-33 Short-Run Demand for Imperfectly Competitive Firm • In the numerical example below, the company uses both technology and data-entry operators to provide services in an imperfectly competitive market. • Since it is in an imperfectly competitive market, the firm faces a downward sloping product demand curve (4). That is, the product price falls as the firm sells more units. Units of Labor (L) (1) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total Product (TP) (units per week) (2) 0.0 5.0 9.0 12.0 14.0 15.5 16.5 17.0 MRP MP TR (Per Unit) Total Revenue (3) (4) (5) (6) ----5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 $210 $200 $190 $180 $170 $160 $150 $140 $ 0 $1,000 $1,710 $2,160 $2,380 $2,480 $2,475 $2,380 ---1000 710 450 220 100 -5 -95 TP L Sales Price Jump to first page L 5-34 Short-Run Labor Demand • For imperfectly competitive firms, the labor demand curve will slope because of a falling marginal product of labor and because the firm must decrease the price on all units of output as more output is produced. • The MRP (=MR *MP) for imperfect competitors is less than the VMP (=P*MP) at all levels of output past the first unit. • The labor demand curve for an imperfectly competitive firm (MRP) is less elastic than that for a perfectly competitive firm (VMP). As a result, they will hire fewer workers other things equal. Wage Rate 1000 800 600 400 200 0 VMP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Quantity of Labor MRP=DL Jump to first page 5-35 5. Long-Run Demand for Labor Jump to first page 5-36 Long-Run Labor Demand In the long run, both labor and capital are variable. The total product for a firm in the long run is: TPLR=f(K,L) The long-run labor demand curve is downward sloping because a wage decline has both an output and substitution effect. Jump to first page 5-37 Output Effect The output effect (also called the scale effect) is the change in employment resulting solely from the effect of a wage on the employer’s costs of production. Normally, a decline in the wage rate shift a firm’s marginal cost curve downward, as from MC1 to MC2. This means that marginal revenue exceeds marginal costs. Adhering to MC profit-maximizing rule, the firm will now find it profitable to increase its output from Q1 to Q2 units. Jump to first page 5-38 Output Effect Price • A decline in the wage rate will reduce the marginal cost (MC1 to MC2) to and increase the profit maximizing level of output (40 to 70). • To produce the higher output level, the firm will have to hire more workers. • This output effect is present in the short run. MC1 10 MC2 8 MR 6 4 2 10 20 Jump to first page 30 40 50 60 70 Quantity of Output 5-39 Substitution Effect The substitution effect is the change in employment resulting from a change in the relative price of labor, output being held constant. If a decline in the wage rate occurs, firms will substitute labor for the now relatively more expensive capital. Since capital is fixed in the short run, this effect can’t occur in the short run. The long-run demand for labor will be more elastic than the short-run demand curve. Jump to first page 5-40 Long-Run Labor Demand Wage Rate • A wage decrease from $800 per week to $600 increases the shortrun quantity of labor from 3 to 4 (A to B). This is the output effect. 1000 A 800 • In the long-run, the firm also substitutes labor for capital, resulting in a substitution effect of 2 units (B to C). • The long-run demand curve results from both effects and is found by connecting points A and C. B 600 C DLR 400 DS 200 R 1 2 3 Jump to first page 4 5 6 7 Quantity of Labor 5-41 Other Factors 1. Product demand Product demand is more elastic in the long run than in the short run, making labor demand more elastic the longer the period. 2. Labor-Capital interaction If the wage rate falls, the short-run quantity demanded of labor rises. This will increase the MP of capital and thus the MRP of capital. Jump to first page 5-42 Other Factors The higher MRP of capital, will increase the quantity of capital and thus the MP and MRP of labor. As a result, the long-run response will be greater than the short-run response. 3. Technology If the wage rate falls, technology innovators will try to reduce the use of relatively more expensive capitals and increase the use of labor. The long run response will be greater than the short-run response. Jump to first page 5-43 Question for Thought 1. Referring to the output and substitution effects, explain why an increase in the wage rate for autoworkers will generate more of a negative employment response in the long run than in the short run. Assume there is no productivity increase and no change in the price of nonlabor resources. Jump to first page 5-44 6. Market Demand for Labor Jump to first page 5-45 Market Labor Demand Wage Rate • The market demand curve for labor is less elastic than a horizontal summation of the demand curves of individual firms (D). 1000 A 800 • A lower wage induces all firms to hire more labor and produce more output, causing the supply of the product to increase. • The resulting decline in the product price shifts the firms’ labor demand to left. • As a result, total employment B 600 C D 400 DMARKET 200 rises to A to B rather than from A to C. 10 20 30 Jump to first page 40 50 60 70 Quantity of Labor 5-46 7. Elasticity of Labor Demand Jump to first page 5-47 Wage Elasticity Coefficient The wage elasticity coefficient measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded of labor to the wage rate. % Change in % Q Wage Elasticity quantity demanded Coefficient = % Change in Wage = % W (Q0 Q1 ) (Q0 Q1 ) - or put simply (W0 W1 ) (W0 W1 ) Jump to first page 5-48 Determinants of Elasticity Elasticity of product demand The greater the price elasticity of product demand, the greater the elasticity of labor demand. Firms with market power tend to more inelastic product demand, and thus a more inelastic labor demand Product demand tends to be more elastic in the long run and thus labor demand is more elastic in the long run. Jump to first page 5-49 Determinants of Elasticity Ratio of labor costs to total costs The larger the share of labor costs in total costs, the greater will be the elasticity of labor demand. A 10% wage rise if labor accounts for 10% of total costs, will raise total costs by 1%. A 10% rise in wages when labor costs for 50% of total costs will raise total costs by 5%. If costs rise more, the price rise must be greater and thus decrease quantity more. Jump to first page 5-50 Determinants of Elasticity Substitutability of other inputs The greater the substitutability of other inputs for labor, the greater will be the elasticity of labor demand. Supply elasticity of other inputs The greater the elasticity of supply of other inputs for labor, the greater will be the elasticity of labor demand Jump to first page 5-51 Estimates of Elasticity Most estimates of elasticity indicates the overall long-run elasticity of demand is about -1.0. A 1% rise in the wage rate will lower the quantity demanded of labor by 1%. Jump to first page 5-52 Significance of Elasticity Labor unions. Unions can achieve greater wage gains when the labor demand curve is more inelastic. Minimum wage The employment decline of a hike in the minimum wage will be larger when the labor demand curve for affected worker is more elastic. Jump to first page 5-53 8. Determinants of Demand for Labor Jump to first page 5-54 Determinants of Labor Demand Product demand A change in product demand, will shift labor demand in the same direction. Productivity Assuming that it does not cause an offsetting decrease in the product price, a change in marginal product will shift labor demand in the same direction. Jump to first page 5-55 Determinants of Labor Demand Number of employers Other things equal, a change in the number of firms employing a particular type of labor will change labor demand in the same direction. Prices of other resources Normally labor and capital are substitutes in production. One can substitute labor for capital and vice versa in the production process. Jump to first page 5-56 Determinants of Labor Demand Gross substitutes Gross substitutes are inputs such that when the price of one changes, the demand for the other changes in the same direction. Implies substitution effect outweighs the output effect. Example: the decline in the price of security equipment used by businesses has decreased the demand for night guards. Jump to first page 5-57 Determinants of Labor Demand Gross complements Gross complements are inputs such that when the price of one changes, the demand for the other changes in the opposite direction. Implies output effect outweighs the substitution effect. Example: the decline in the price of telephone switching equipment has increased the demand for communications workers. Jump to first page 5-58 Determinants of Labor Demand Pure complements Pure complements in production are inputs that are used in direct proportion to each other. Since no substitution effect occurs, the inputs must be gross complements. Jump to first page 5-59 Question for Thought 1. Use the concepts of (a) substitutes in production versus pure complements in production and (b) gross substitutes versus gross complements to assess the likely impact of the rapid decline in the price of computers and related office equipment on the labor demand for secretaries. Jump to first page 5-60 9. Real World Applications Jump to first page 5-61 Employment in Textiles and Apparel 2 1.5 1 0.5 Jump to first page 00 20 97 19 94 19 91 19 88 19 85 19 82 19 79 19 76 19 19 73 0 70 • Robots and assembly-line labor are gross substitutes. The price of robots has fallen and so labor demand has fallen. 2.5 19 • Employment in the textile and apparel industries has fallen in one-half since 1973. • Demand for American textile and apparel workers has fallen because the share of sales due to imports has risen from 5% in 1970 to 40% now. Employment (millions) 3 5-62 End Chapter 5 Jump to first page