Final answer:
The correct answer is option c. The imposition of a minimum wage above the market equilibrium can lead to unemployment due to the creation of an excess supply of labor. In the scenario provided, a minimum wage of $6 is not specifically discussed, but the principles of labor supply and demand suggest that any such artificial price floor would likely result in unemployment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The impact of a minimum wage increase on unemployment can vary depending on the specific circumstances of the labor market in question. In general, when the government imposes a minimum wage that is above the equilibrium wage, this can lead to a surplus of labor, meaning that there are more workers willing to work at that wage than there are jobs available. According to the given information, without any union involvement, the equilibrium wage rate is $18 per hour with 8,000 bus drivers employed. When a union succeeds in increasing the wage to $22 per hour, only 4,000 workers are demanded while 10,000 workers would be supplied, resulting in an excess supply of 6,000 workers.
Therefore, a minimum wage of $6, which is not specifically mentioned in the provided information, does not directly correspond to the scenario at hand. However, based on the principle that a wage set above the equilibrium level leads to unemployment, we could infer that any minimum wage set above the market equilibrium will result in some level of unemployment.