Question

If there is a floor on wages created by a minimum wage, union contracts, or other factors, then a decline in the marginal productivity of low-skilled workers will ______ the demand for low-skilled workers and ______ the number of unemployed workers.

Answer 1

Decrease; Increase

Step-by-step explanation:

When there is a decline in the marginal productivity of low skilled workers, it results in a decline or decrease in the demand for low skilled workers. Marginal productivity is the extra output gained from adding one unit of labour. Thus, if low skilled workers are added to increase marginal productivity, but then reaches the point of decline, the demand or the need for those low skilled workers reduces. The reduction or decrease in the demand for these low skilled workers then lead to an increase in number of unemployed workers as those unskilled workers becomes jobless.