Labor Supply and Unearned Income

An individual's preferences for consumption (c) and leisure (t) are represented by the utility function u(t,c) = t(c-200). Consider the effect of a wage increase on this individual's choice of how many hours to work. Which of the following statements correctly analyzes the relationship between their non-labor income and their response to the wage change?

Analyzing Labor Supply Decisions

Evaluating a Labor Supply Policy

An individual's preferences are represented by the utility function u(t,c) = t(c-200), where 't' is hours of leisure and 'c' is dollars of consumption. True or False: For this individual, an increase in their hourly wage will unambiguously lead them to supply more labor (i.e., take less leisure).

An individual's preferences for leisure (t) and consumption (c) are represented by the utility function u(t,c) = t(c-200). For this individual, the impact of a wage increase on their decision to work more or less depends on their level of unearned income. Match each level of unearned income with the dominant economic effect and its consequence for labor supply.

An individual's preferences for leisure (t) and consumption (c) are represented by the utility function u(t,c) = t(c-200). For this individual, the substitution effect of a wage increase will dominate the income effect, leading them to work more, only if their unearned income is greater than $____.

An individual's preferences for leisure (t) and consumption (c) are represented by the utility function u(t,c) = t(c-200). This person has a very low level of unearned income. If their hourly wage increases, arrange the following statements to describe the logical sequence of effects on their labor supply decision.

Predicting Labor Supply Responses to a Wage Cut

Contrasting Labor Supply Responses