Concept

The Effect of a Wage Change is Contingent on the Utility Function

The ultimate impact of a wage change on an individual's choice of free time is not universal, as it depends on their specific preferences, which are represented by different mathematical forms of utility functions. For instance, while a utility function like u(t,c)=t(c+600)u(t,c) = t(c+600) causes free time to consistently decrease with a wage rise, other functions can produce more varied outcomes. A key example is the utility function u(t,c)=t(c200)u(t,c) = t(c-200), where the result of a wage increase is conditional on the level of unearned income (II): the income effect dominates when II is low, and the substitution effect dominates when II is high.

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Updated 2026-05-02

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