Question

Suppose that the firm pays its workers $46 per day. Each unit of output sells for $12. How many workers should the firm hire

Answer 1

Solution :

A firm hires labor till a point where the cost of hiring is equal to the value of the additional revenue it produces.

We know ,

the wage rate = cos of hiring an additional worker

the value of the additional revenue that the firm produces = price x (MPI) marginal product of the labor.

Therefore, the firm will hire when :

Wage = value of the additional revenue it generates

Thus, wage = price  x (MPI) marginal product of the labor ...........(i)

Therefore, given :

wage of a worker = $ 45

Price = $ 12

So, 45 = 12 x MPI

MPI = 3.8

So the marginal product of employing three days of labor = 25-18/4-3 = 7

Marginal product of employing four days of labor = 30-25/4-3 = 5

So the 4th day produces less revenue than the cost that it generates.

So, the firm should hire 3 workers.