Mike's Pretzels employs labor at a wage rate of $8 per hour and rents capital for $20 per hour. At its current level of labor and capital, the marginal product of labor is 24 and the marginal product of capital is 55
Is the firm currently maximizing profit? Explain.
No, the firm is not currently maximizing profit. The firm should hire labor and capital such that MPL/PL is equal to MPK/PK. In this case, MPL/PL (3) is greater than MPK/PK (2.75). Thus, the firm should hire more labor (which would lower MPL) and less capital (which would raise MPK).
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In a contestable market
A) the HHI is usually quite low. B) the firm in the market usually earns a large economic profit. C) the firm in the market may play an entry-deterrence game. D) there are high barriers to entry.
A tax equal to the external cost on firms that emit pollutants would: a. provide firms with the incentive to increase the level of activity creating the pollution
b. provide firms with the incentive to decrease the level of activity creating the pollution. c. provide firms with little incentive to search for less environmentally damaging production methods. d. not reduce pollution levels at all.