In: Economics
Use the WS and PS relations to show the effects of the following events on the natural rate of unemployment and on the real wage. Be sure to explain the effects of the event and to illustrate your answer graphically.
a. increased anti-trust legislation leads to increased competition.
b. a reduction in unemployment insurance.
* Natural Rate of unemployment is determined by Wage setting
relation and price setting relation. Assuming that actual price
level is equal to expected price level i.e. Pe = P. We can write
both equation as -:
* WS relation shows inverse relation between unemployment rate and
real wage. On the other hand PS relation is independent of
unemployment rate. Equilibrium in labor market requires that real
wage according to WS and real wage according to PS must be same.
Therefore, unemployment rate at labor market Equilibrium is known
as natural rate of unemployment. At natural rate of unemployment
following equation must be satisfied -:
* The natural rate of unemployment is not constant.
Infact it will change if there is a shift of PS or WS relation.
a) If there in increased anti trust legislation then
there is increased competition among firms and keeps price lower.
It means value of mark up decreases with competition. As a result
PS relation shifts upwards and natural rate of unemployment
decreases. (as shown in dig. below)
b) If there is a reduction in unemployment insurance
then catchall variable decreases and WS relation shift downwards.
As a result natural rate of unemployment decreases. (as shown in
dig. below)