Question

In response to the economic crisis in 2008, President Merkel "highlighted in her speech what the German government has already done: a financial sector rescue package worth up to €500 billion, and a proposed stimulus package of tax breaks [on income] and spending measures aimed at triggering investments of up to €50 billion over the next two years." Which parts of the stimulus plan will increase labor supply?

Answer 1

Chancellor Merkel's proposed stimulus consisted of two parts:

1. a financial rescue package worth €500 billion (which I personally believe only helped bankers but didn't increase labor supply)
2. tax breaks and investment measures worth €50 billion

The only part of the stimulus package that would actually help to increase labor supply is the last part, which also is the smallest part, since it should have increased investments. When investment increases, the interest rates decrease and aggregate demand increases. As aggregator demand increases, the demand for labor also increases. An increase in the demand for labor results in higher wages, which in turn increases labor supply until an equilibrium is reached.

Governments generally rescue financial institutions arguing that they are really important to the economy, but what is really amazing and repeats itself all over the world is that the same governments favor free markets. When small businesses fail, governments do not care, and small businesses represent 99% of America's companies. Governments only start caring when rich people lose money, since free market rules only apply to them when they favor them. If free market rules do not favor the rich, they are bad and governments intervene.