Origin of the Term 'Monopsony'

Compounded Conflicts in the Polluting Monopsonist Model

Labour Market Power (Monopsony Power)

A small, isolated town has a single large factory that is the sole employer for the local workforce. Assuming the factory's goal is to maximize its profit, how would the wage and employment level in this town most likely compare to a similar town with many competing factories, all else being equal?

Labor Market Dynamics in an Isolated Town

Evaluating the Economic Impact of a Single-Employer Town

Match each market structure with its defining characteristic.

The Hiring Decision of a Sole Employer

In a market with a single buyer of labor, the total additional cost incurred by the firm for hiring one more worker is exactly equal to the wage that specific worker is paid.

A firm is the sole buyer of labor in a remote region. It currently employs 100 workers at a wage of $15 per hour. To hire a 101st worker, the firm finds it must increase the wage for all workers to $15.10 per hour. What is the firm's total additional cost for hiring that 101st worker?

Power Dynamics in a Single-Employer Town

The Cost of Hiring for a Single Buyer

Consider a labor market where a single large firm is the only employer. This firm pays a wage lower than what would be seen in a market with many competing employers. If the government introduces a binding minimum wage that is set above the firm's current wage but below the level where the firm's labor demand intersects its marginal cost of labor, what is the most likely initial impact on the level of employment at the firm?

Origin of the Term 'Monopsony'

Monopolistic Competition

Introduction to the Theory of Employment (1937)

Speculation over Robinson's Lack of a Nobel Prize

Robinson's Advice on Teaching Economic Systems

Robinson's Critique of the Focus on Relative Price Theory

Source: 'Joan Robinson and Modern Economic Theory' (Feiwel, 1989)

Source: The Economics of Imperfect Competition (1933)