Question

Assume General Motors has decided to build an assembly plant in St. Louis. The plant will employ 1,000 full-time workers at an annual wage of $40,000 each. If the marginal propensity to consume in St. Louis is 2/3, what change in income will result from the operation of the plant for one year?

Answer 1

$80 million

Step-by-step explanation:

The total income received by the plant's employees during the year will be $40 million (= 1,000 employees x $40,000 per employee). Since their propensity to consume is 2/3, they the employees will spend $26.67 million and save $13.3 million.

The money multiplier can be calculated using the formula: money multiplier = 1 / (1 - MPC) = 1 / (1 - 0.67) = 1 / 0.33 = 3

To determine the total income effect in St. Louis we have to multiply the money spent times the money multiplier = $26.67 million x 3 = $80 million