Question

Consultants in a particular industry are currently paid $100 per hour and the typical work day lasts 10 hours. Demand for labour in that industry increases, resulting in the average hourly rate increasing to $150 per hour. However, a labour survey reveals that most consultants now work two fewer hours per day than they did prior to the rise in the price of their labour. A newspaper comments that this is at odds with the “law of supply”, such that higher prices should result in greater quantities supplied. Explain why individual consultants’ labour supply curves can be backward bending, such that higher wages lead to fewer hours worked, and explain whether the market labour supply curve for consultants is likely to violate the “law of supply”. Use appropriate diagrams to illustrate your answer.  

Answer 1