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Chapter 13

Economics for Labor Markets

Factors of Production
Factors of Production
Production involves the creation of physical products such as cars, televisions, and pens or intangible products such as education, travel, and cleaning ...
The Demand for Labor: Firm
The Demand for Labor: Firm
For a firm, demand for a factor of production, such as labor, is the number of employees it seeks to hire during a given time period for a particular ...
The Competitive Profit Maximizing Firm's Demand for Labor: Assumptions
The Competitive Profit Maximizing Firm's Demand for Labor: Assumptions
A few assumptions are made to analyze the demand for labor by a firm. Consider a firm operating a mango orchard. The firm is assumed to be ...
The Marginal Product of Labor I
The Marginal Product of Labor I
The marginal product of labor, or MP_L, is the additional output that results from adding one more unit of labor, holding all other inputs constant. For ...
The Marginal Product of Labor II
The Marginal Product of Labor II
The marginal product of labor or MP_L is calculated as the quotient of change in the quantity of output to change in the quantity of labor while keeping ...
The Value of the Marginal Product of Labor and the Demand for Labor
The Value of the Marginal Product of Labor and the Demand for Labor
The marginal product of labor or MP_L shows the additional units of the product manufactured by hiring another unit of labor while keeping other inputs ...
The Competitive Firm's Decision to Hire Labor
The Competitive Firm's Decision to Hire Labor
For a competitive firm, such as a mango orchard, the value of the marginal product curve or VMPL  is the labor-demand curve. This firm faces a ...
The Market Demand for Labor
The Market Demand for Labor
In a perfectly competitive labor market, numerous firms or employers demand services of labor. Workers are paid wages for the services that they offer to ...
The Market Supply of Labor
The Market Supply of Labor
Labor is a unique factor of production. While labor is demanded by firms, it is supplied by individuals living in households. The market supply curve of ...
Equilibrium in the Labor Market
Equilibrium in the Labor Market
In a competitive labor market, where numerous firms buy labor services, and many workers sell them, the equilibrium wage rate is set by labor demand and ...
Shift in Labor Demand I
Shift in Labor Demand I
The market demand curve for labor is downward sloping. It reflects the value of the marginal product of labor. When the price of the product changes, it ...
Shift in Labor Demand II
Shift in Labor Demand II
Technological changes can shift the market demand curve for labor. If the new technology complements labor productivity, the demand for labor will shift ...
Shift in Labor Supply
Shift in Labor Supply
A rightward shift in the supply curve for the labor market shows an increase in the labor supply. This means that more workers are willing to work at each ...
Effect on Equilibrium: Shift in Labor Supply
Effect on Equilibrium: Shift in Labor Supply
A shift in the market supply of labor affects the equilibrium wage in the labor market. Consider a perfectly competitive labor market where agriculturists ...
Effect on Equilibrium: Shift in Labor Demand
Effect on Equilibrium: Shift in Labor Demand
The market demand curve for labor also reflects the value of the marginal product of labor or VMPL. So, something that changes the VMPL, such as an ...
The Trade-Off Between Work and Leisure
The Trade-Off Between Work and Leisure
In economics, time usually has two uses. People either work or spend time on leisure. People earn wages by working. These wages are the income used to ...
Backward Bending Supply of Labor
Backward Bending Supply of Labor
The labor supply curve of an individual shows the relation between wage rate and the quantity of labor supplied measured in hours worked. The reservation ...
The Other Factors of Production
The Other Factors of Production
Apart from labor, there are two other important factors of production for which the firm wants to determine the optimum level to be used. These are land ...
Equilibrium Rent: The Market for Land
Equilibrium Rent: The Market for Land
The landowners supply land, and producers rent it. For example, farmers rent land to grow corn. When landowners charge higher rent, the quantity of land ...
Equilibrium Rent: The Market for Capital
Equilibrium Rent: The Market for Capital
Capital is used to produce goods and services. For an orchard, capital includes heavy machines such as tractors and simple equipment such as ladders and ...
Linkages Among the Factors of Production
Linkages Among the Factors of Production
Factors of production are interlinked. For example, a natural calamity that leads to the loss of human lives decreases the market supply of labor. This ...
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