📚 Learning Guide
Demand and Supply in Labor Markets
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How does an increase in the marginal product of labor affect a firm's demand for labor?

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Choose the Best Answer

A

It increases demand as labor becomes more productive.

B

It decreases demand as the cost of labor rises.

C

It has no effect if wages remain constant.

D

It leads to layoffs to reduce costs.

Understanding the Answer

Let's break down why this is correct

Answer

When the marginal product of labor increases, it means that each additional worker can produce more goods or services for the firm. This makes hiring more workers more valuable to the company because they can generate more profit from the extra output. As a result, the firm is likely to demand more labor to take advantage of this increased productivity. For example, if a factory finds that adding one more worker allows it to produce ten more widgets instead of five, the factory will want to hire more workers to boost its production and sales. Therefore, an increase in the marginal product of labor leads to a higher demand for labor, as firms seek to maximize their output and profits.

Detailed Explanation

When workers become more productive, they can produce more goods in the same time. Other options are incorrect because Some might think that higher productivity means higher costs; It's a common mistake to think that constant wages mean no change in demand.

Key Concepts

Marginal Product of Labor
Demand for Labor
Wage Structure
Topic

Demand and Supply in Labor Markets

Difficulty

medium level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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