2. Labour Supply Flashcards

1
Q

Marginal utility of leisure

A

The amount utility increases by when leisure is increased by one unit

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2
Q

Marginal utility of consumption

A

The amount utility is increased by when consumption is increased by one unit

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3
Q

MRS

A

Marginal rate of substitution. It is the slope of the utility function

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4
Q

What does the convexity of the utility function imply?

A

Diminishing MRS

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5
Q

Equation for budget constraint

A

C= wT+ V-wL

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6
Q

At the equilibrium for budget constraint and the utility function what is true?

A

MRS=w. The rate at which a person is willing to give up leisure for consumption is equal to the wage

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7
Q

How does an increase in non- labour wage affect leisure?

A

It typically increases leisure if we assume leisure is a normal good

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8
Q

After an increase in wage, when will someone work less and consume more leisure?

A

When their income effect >substitution effect

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9
Q

After an increase in wages when will someone work more and consume less leisure?

A

When their income effect < substitution effect

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10
Q

If we have a corner solution and MRS>W what happens?

A

The person doesn’t work at all

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11
Q

If we have a corner solution and MRS

A

They will work

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12
Q

Describe a typical individual’s labour supply curve

A

As wage increases, so does hours worked until a point where hours worked begins to decrease

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13
Q

Elasticity of labour supply equation

A

Ó= (Change in h)/(Change in W) x W/h

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14
Q

When is labour supply upward sloping?

A

When substitution effect>income effect

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15
Q

When is labour supply curve downward sloping?

A

When income effect> substitution effect

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16
Q

If the elasticity of labour supply is zero what does the LS curve look like?

A

It is vertical since it is perfectly inelastic

17
Q

Intertemporal substitution hypothesis (ISH)

A

People substitute their time over their life cycle to take advantage of changes in price of leisure

18
Q

What is the usual estimate of the elasticity of labour supply for men and women?

A
  • -0.1 in men

* thought to be positive for women

19
Q

Why is it hard to estimate the elasticity of labour supply?

A
  • the wage isn’t exogenous
  • what period should hours be measured over?
  • measurement error in survey data
  • division bias
  • average vs marginal wages
  • missing data and selection bias
20
Q

What is a good example of a natural experiment for elasticity of labour supply?

A

Taxi drivers in New York

21
Q

What is the correlation between unemployment and labour supply? Why might this happen?

A

They are negatively correlated. Could be because of discouraged worker effect

22
Q

What effect does the welfare programme have?

A
  • it has a disincentive effect
  • it raises the reservation wage
  • it lowers the net wage
23
Q

How does the welfare programme affect the low paid?

A
  • they face higher marginal tax rates, which can be made higher by the reduction in benefits in kind
  • reduction in their real wages
24
Q

What is an alternative to the welfare programme?

A

In work benefits or earned income tax credits

25
How can we evaluate benefit reforms?
1. Randomised social experiments 2. Before and after comparisons 3. Using control and treatment groups 4. Difference- in- differences (combining 2 and 3)