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Value of the marginal product is the value to society of the output produced by the marginal<br />

factor. VMP equals the price of the product times the MPP of the factor. The VMP of a factor is<br />

always at least as great as the factor’s MRP.<br />

To minimize costs, producers will attempt to combine factors so that the ratio of MPP to factor<br />

price will be the same for all factors.<br />

The elasticity of demand for labor measures the responsiveness of employers to a change in the<br />

wage rate. The three determinants of the elasticity of demand for labor are; (1) the number of<br />

substitute factors, (2) the price elasticity of demand for the product that the labor produces, and<br />

(3) the percentage that labor costs make up of total costs.<br />

For a perfectly competitive labor employer, the labor supply curve will be horizontal. Wage and<br />

marginal factor cost are the same. The labor supply curve in a particular labor market will be<br />

upward sloping. The determinants of labor supply are; (1) wage rates in alternative labor markets,<br />

and (2) nonmoney aspects of a job.<br />

Wage rates in different labor markets differ due to; (1) differences in workers’ MRP, (2)<br />

differences in nonmoney aspects of jobs, (3) rareness of skills required, (4) training costs, and (5)<br />

relocation costs.<br />

Employers seek to hire and promote employees who will be highly productive. Employers do not<br />

have perfect information, so they rely on some type of screening device. A screening device is a<br />

characteristic used by employers as the basis for hiring and promoting employees. An employer<br />

who discovers screening devices that more accurately predict worker productivity will have a<br />

competitive advantage. Some commonly used screening devices are seen as generally legitimate<br />

(work experience, education). These may not always be legitimate and will not always predict<br />

worker productivity accurately. Other screening devices are seen as less legitimate (appearance).<br />

Some screening devices may amount to illegal discrimination (age, race, gender).<br />

Questions for Chapter 24<br />

Fill-in-the-blanks:<br />

1. Marginal ______________________ ______________________ is the change in total<br />

revenue from employing an additional factor unit.<br />

2. Marginal ______________________ ______________________ is the additional cost from<br />

employing an additional factor unit.<br />

3. A ______________________ ______________________ is a characteristic used by<br />

employers as the basis for hiring and promoting employees.<br />

Multiple Choice:<br />

___ 1. If the demand for dog grooming increases, the demand for dog groomers will<br />

____________________ and their wage rate will ____________________ .<br />

a. increase, increase<br />

b. decrease, decrease<br />

c. increase, decrease<br />

d. decrease, increase<br />

___ 2. Due to the law of diminishing marginal returns:<br />

a. marginal revenue product will eventually decline<br />

b. the marginal revenue product curve will eventually slope downward<br />

c. Both of the above<br />

d. Neither of the above<br />

FOR REVIEW ONLY - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION<br />

Factor Markets 24 - 10

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