Question

In: Economics

Consider the market for automobile assembly line workers in the 1950s and 1960s, who were almost...

Consider the market for automobile assembly line workers in the 1950s and 1960s, who were almost entirely unionized. Describe how each of the following developments would affect employment and unemployment among these workers. Assume that the negotiated wage is above the wage that would equate the quantity of labor supplied and the quantity demanded in the market for the workers, and assume that the market for automobiles is highly competitive.

a) The building of the interstate highway system increases the demand for automobiles at a given price.

b) Better opportunities elsewhere in the economy lead some workers to leave the auto industry.

c) The installation of new production equipment increases the number of cars a set of workers can produce in a day.

Solutions

Expert Solution

a) The building of the interstate highway system increases the demand for automobiles at a given price , so increase in demand cause equilibrium price and quantity to rise . Hence more workers are employed to meet the excess demand .

b) Some workers leave the auto industry , so unemployment declines in the industry . The workers who were not being able to find jobs in auto industry due to unionized wage , now get employed .

c) Improvement in technology causes per worker output to increase . So only a few workers can now make more number of cars , hence firms hire lesser workers .


Related Solutions

Consider the long-run labor market for married female workers. In the 1950s, many employers had a...
Consider the long-run labor market for married female workers. In the 1950s, many employers had a policy of not hiring married women (and of even firing female employees when they married). How would the end of such policies affect the normal real wage and employment of married women working outside the home?
By the late 1960s, rock had become a genre almost totally dominated by white artists. Consider...
By the late 1960s, rock had become a genre almost totally dominated by white artists. Consider the following non-white rock artists: Carlos Santana Joan Armatrading Living Colour Choose one artist and briefly discuss their biography and career. How would you characterize his/her/their music? Has the artist discussed his/her/their relationship to the whiteness of rock?
Joe Schultz was a first line supervisor of a group of assembly line workers at Supreme...
Joe Schultz was a first line supervisor of a group of assembly line workers at Supreme Manufacturing, a plastics manufacturing facility. With a high school education, he had been with Supreme in this department, first as an assembly worker, then promoted as a supervisor 5 years ago. His leadership style could be described as "active, controlling and task oriented." He was of the same ethnic background as many of his subordinates (German) and would often 'kid' with them in Germanic...
For an automobile manufacturer, choose the correct category for the following costs: Wages of Assembly Line...
For an automobile manufacturer, choose the correct category for the following costs: Wages of Assembly Line Workers AnswerSelling CostsFactory OverheadAdministrative CostsDirect LaborDirect Materials Advertising AnswerDirect LaborDirect MaterialsSelling CostsFactory OverheadAdministrative Costs Leather for Seats AnswerDirect LaborAdministrative CostsDirect MaterialsFactory OverheadSelling Costs Tires AnswerFactory OverheadAdministrative CostsDirect MaterialsSelling CostsDirect Labor Factory Depreciation AnswerSelling CostsDirect LaborAdministrative CostsFactory OverheadDirect Materials Salary of CEO AnswerSelling CostsAdministrative CostsDirect LaborDirect MaterialsFactory Overhead Office Copier Charges Selling Costs Factory Overhead Administrative Costs Direct Materials Direct Labor Sales Incentives to Sales...
Henry Ford paid the workers in his automobile assembly plant more than most employers at the...
Henry Ford paid the workers in his automobile assembly plant more than most employers at the time. He also took an interest in their well-being outside of work. Agents helped workers organize their homes, manage their debt, and buy homes. How did Ford’s approach to employee relations impact employees? Do you think it was to their advantage or disadvantage for the company to take such an active interest in their lives? If you were running a company, what practices of...
An automobile manufacturer is considering one of two systems for its windshield assembly line. The first...
An automobile manufacturer is considering one of two systems for its windshield assembly line. The first is a robotic system that should save money due to a reduction in labor and material cost. This robotic system will cost $400,000. Current practice is to recover this cost over the first two years. One full-time technician and one full-time material handler will be needed with this system. The full-time technician costs $60,000 per year and the material handler costs $52,000 per year....
Consider the assembly line of a laptop computer. The line consists of 10 stations and operates...
Consider the assembly line of a laptop computer. The line consists of 10 stations and operates at a cycle time of 2 minutes/unit. Their most error-prone operation is step 2. There is no inventory between the stations because this is a machine-paced line. Final inspection happens at station 10. What would be the information turnaround time for a defect made at station 2?
It is known that the mean income for all assembly-line workers with less than 5 years...
It is known that the mean income for all assembly-line workers with less than 5 years of experience in a large compay is $300 per week. A representative of a women’s group believes that the female employees are being underpaid. A random sample of sixteen female employees yields an average weekly income of $270. Conduct a statistical test that will give you evidence about whether the female employees have a mean income of less than $300 per week. It is...
In 1908 Jenry Ford produced the first affordable automobile using his assembly line method. At the...
In 1908 Jenry Ford produced the first affordable automobile using his assembly line method. At the time, the assembly line was a new and emerging technology and is now the essential element of most manufacturing processes. You probably can easily identify the benefits achieved by the assembly line. However, there were some ethical consequences to its development and implementation. Discuss what you believe to be ethical consequences of the assembly line. Do those consequences still apply in today's manufacturing environment...
Market Research–Round 1: In the late 1950s, when Americans were trading in their old cars for...
Market Research–Round 1: In the late 1950s, when Americans were trading in their old cars for new ones every year or two, American automobiles were getting bigger and bigger. The demand for ever-larger, more powerful V-8 engine cars seemed unstoppable. At least one American auto manufacturer, Ford, realized the trend could not continue indefinitely, and that at some point consumers would begin to prefer smaller cars again. The question was when that shift would occur—and how to be ready for...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT