1Chapter28ProblemsandApplications1.Thelaborforceconsistsofthenumberofemployed(142,076,000)plusthenumberofunemployed(7,497,000),whichequals149,573,000.Tofindthelabor-forceparticipationrate,weneedtoknowthesizeoftheadultpopulation.Addingthelaborforce(149,573,000)tothenumberofpeoplenotinthelaborforce(76,580,000)givestheadultpopulationof226,153,000.Thelabor-forceparticipationrateisthelaborforce(149,573,000)dividedbytheadultpopulation(226,153,000)times100%,whichequals66%.Theunemploymentrateisthenumberofunemployed(7,497,000)dividedbythelaborforce(149,573,000)times100%,whichequals5.0%.2.Manyanswersarepossible.3.Menage55andoverexperiencedthegreatestdeclineinlabor-forceparticipation.ThiswasbecauseofincreasedSocialSecuritybenefitsandretirementincome,encouragingretirementatanearlierage.4.Youngerwomenexperiencedabiggerincreaseinlabor-forceparticipationthanolderwomenbecausemoreofthemhaveenteredthelaborforce(inpartbecauseofsocialchanges),sotherearemoretwo-careerfamilies.Inaddition,womenhavedelayedhavingchildrenuntillaterinlifeandhavereducedthenumberofchildrentheyhave,sotheyareinthelaborforceforagreaterproportionoftheirlivesthanwasthecasepreviously.5.Thefactthatemploymentincreased1.5millionwhileunemploymentdeclined0.6millionisconsistentwithgrowthinthelaborforceof0.9millionworkers.Thelaborforceconstantlyincreasesasthepopulationgrowsandaslabor-forceparticipationincreases,sotheincreaseinthenumberofpeopleemployedmayalwaysexceedthereductioninthenumberunemployed.6.a.Aconstructionworkerwhoislaidoffbecauseofbadweatherislikelytoexperienceshort-termunemployment,becausetheworkerwillbebacktoworkassoonastheweatherclearsup.b.Amanufacturingworkerwholosesherjobataplantinanisolatedareaislikelytoexperiencelong-termunemployment,becausethereareprobablyfewotheremploymentopportunitiesinthearea.Shemayneedtomovesomewhereelsetofindasuitablejob,whichmeansshewillbeoutofworkforsometime.c.Aworkerinthestagecoachindustrywhowaslaidoffbecauseofthegrowthofrailroadsislikelytobeunemployedforalongtime.Theworkerwillhavealotoftroublefindinganotherjobbecausehisentireindustryisshrinking.Hewillprobablyneedtogainadditionaltrainingorskillstogetajobinadifferentindustry.d.Ashort-ordercookwholoseshisjobwhenanewrestaurantopensislikelytofindanotherjobfairlyquickly,perhapsevenatthenewrestaurant,andthuswillprobablyhaveonlyashortspellofunemployment.e.Anexpertwelderwithlittleeducationwholosesherjobwhenthecompanyinstallsautomaticweldingmachineryislikelytobewithoutajobforalongtime,becauseshelacksthetechnologicalskillstokeepupwiththelatestequipment.Toremainintheweldingindustry,shemayneedtogobacktoschoolandlearnthenewesttechniques.Chapter28/Unemployment27.Figure2showsadiagramofthelabormarketwithabindingminimumwage.Attheinitialminimumwage(m1),thequantityoflaborsuppliedL1SisgreaterthanthequantityoflabordemandedL1D,andunemploymentisequaltoL1S−L1D.Anincreaseintheminimumwagetom2leadstoanincreaseinthequantityoflaborsuppliedtoL2SandadecreaseinthequantityoflabordemandedtoL2D.Asaresult,unemploymentincreasesastheminimumwagerises.Figure28.a.Figure3illustratestheeffectofaunionbeingestablishedinthemanufacturinglabormarket.Inthefigureontheleft,thewagerisesfromw1Utow2UandthequantityoflabordemandeddeclinesfromU1toU2D.Becausethewageishigher,thequantitysuppliedoflaborincreasestoU2S,sothereareU2S−U2Dunemployedworkersintheunionizedmanufacturingsector.b.Whenthoseworkerswhobecomeunemployedinthemanufacturingsectorseekemploymentintheservicelabormarket,showninthefigureontheright,thesupplyoflaborshiftstotherightfromS1toS2.Theresultisadeclineinthewageinthenonunionizedservicesectorfromw1Ntow2NandanincreaseinemploymentinthenonunionizedservicesectorfromN1toN2.Chapter28/Unemployment3Figure39.a.WhentheJapanesedevelopedastrongautoindustry,U.S.autodemandbecamemoreelasticasaresultofincreasedcompetition.Withmoreelasticdemandforautos,theelasticityofdemandforAmericanautoworkersincreased.b.Becausetheriseinautoimportsmadethedemandforautoworkersmoreelastic,tomaintainahigher-than-competitivewageraterequiresagreaterreductioninthequantityoflabordemanded.Sotheunionhadtochoosebetweenallowingtheunionwagetodeclineorfacingthelossofmanyjobs.c.Giventhetrade-offfacedbytheunion,thegrowthoftheJapaneseautoindustryforcedtheunionwagetomoveclosertothecompetitivewage.10.a.Ifafirmwasnotprovidingsuchbenefitspriortothelegislation,thecurveshowingthedemandforlaborwouldshiftdownbyexactly$4ateachquantityoflabor,becausethefirmwouldnotbewillingtopayashighawagegiventheincreasedcostofthebenefits.b.Ifemployeesvaluethebenefitbyexactly$4perhour,theywouldbewillingtoworkthesameamountforawagethat's$4lessperhour,sothesupplycurveoflaborshiftsdownbyexactly$4.Figure4c.Figure4showstheequilibriuminthelabormarket.Becausethedemandandsupplycurvesoflaborbothshiftdownby$4,theequilibriumquantityoflaborisunchangedandthewageratedeclinesby$4.Bothemployeesandemployersarejustaswelloffasbefore.d.Iftheminimumwagepreventsthewagefromfalling,theresultwillbeincreasedunemployment,asFigure5shows.Initially,theequilibriumquantityoflaborisL1andtheequilibriumwageisw1,whichis$3low