Why does a profit-maximizing firm hire labor up to the point where the value of marginal product equals the wage rate?
What will be an ideal response?
If a company stopped adding workers at the point where the wage rate was less than the value of marginal product of labor, the firm could hire more workers and its profit would increase. Why? Because the return from the workers, the value of marginal product, exceeds the cost of hiring the workers. Since the marginal product of labor decreases as more workers are employed, as more workers are added, the marginal product of labor and hence the value of marginal product decreases. Eventually the firm will reach the point at which the value of marginal product equals the wage rate. If still more workers are employed, then the wage the firm must pay the workers exceeds the value of marginal product. These workers would contribute losses to the firm. So only when the value of marginal product equals the wage rate can the firm not increase its profit by changing the quantity of workers it employs.
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Railroads have received significant attention from regulators because
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A) to be exogenous and to influence desired spending. B) to be endogenous and not to influence desired spending. C) to be endogenous and to influence desired spending. D) to be exogenous and not to influence spending.
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A. has a high willingness to take on situations with risk. B. has a low willingness to take on situations with risk. C. will only participate in high-risk situations. D. will always choose the riskier venture when given two choices.