Microeconomics

Table of Contents

1. Topic pack - Microeconomics - introduction
2. 1.1 Competitive Markets: Demand and Supply
3. 1.1 Competitive Markets: Demand and Supply - notes
4. 1.1 Competitive markets - questions
5. 1.1 Competitive markets - simulations and activities
6. 1.2 Elasticities
7. 1.2 Elasticities - notes
8. Section 1.2 Elasticities - questions
9. Section 1.2 Elasticities - simulations and activities
10. 1.3 Government intervention
11. 1.3 Government Intervention - notes
    1. The impact of taxation
    2. Tax revenue
    3. Tax incidence
    4. Calculating effects of a specific tax
    5. Calculating impact of a tax - example
    6. The impact of subsidies
    7. Calculating effects of a subsidy
    8. Calculating effect of a subsidy - example
    9. Price controls
    10. Price ceilings
    11. Calculate effects of price ceiling
    12. Calculating effect of a price ceiling - example
    13. Price floors
    14. Calculate effects of price floor
    15. Calculating effect of a price ceiling - example
    16. Intervention in agricultural markets
    17. Common Agricultural Policy
12. 1.3 Government intervention - questions
13. 1.3 Government intervention - simulations and activities
14. 1.4 Market failure
15. 1.4 Market failure - notes
16. Section 1.4 Market failure - questions
17. Section 1.4 Market failure - simulations and activities
18. 1.5 Theory of the firm
19. 1.5 Theory of the firm - notes (HL only)
20. Section 1.5 Theory of the firm - questions
21. Section 1.5 Theory of the firm - simulations and activities
22. Print View

Price floors

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• Price floors

Minimum wage

Many countries have now set a minimum wage. A minimum wage was first enacted in New Zealand in 1894 and there is now legislation setting minimum wages in more than 90% of all countries. The effect of a minimum wage will be very similar to that of a minimum price.

Assuming that the minimum wage is above the equilibrium level, wages will rise to the minimum wage level, but the number of employees will fall (to Qd in Figure 2), at least in the short run.

Figure 2 Impact of a minimum wage

However, the extent of the unemployment will depend on the elasticity of demand for and elasticity of supply of labour. If both are very inelastic then there may be very little unemployment. Don't worry, this will be more fully explained later!

If the substitutability of labour is very low (in other words employers cannot substitute capital (machines) for labour), then this should help minimise the impact on unemployment.

However, unscrupulous employers may well employ workers illegally and pay less than the minimum wage. An informal market is again created. This is often found where countries have a large number of illegal immigrants.