In: Economics
Below is the labour market for carpenters. With labor demand and labor supply curves meeting at E, the current market clearing wage rate is R800 per day. A legislation that sets the minimum wage rate for carpenter at R1000 per day brings unemployment because the labor units demanded are L1 while labor units supplied are L2. Hence L2-L1 units of labor are unemployed or surplus.
This is a market for low-skilled workers. Hence the welfare effects are summarized below