Lectures_micro / Microeconomics_presentation_Chapter_20
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in Market
Rental rate
Market Labor
Supply Curve
Equilibrium value of the marginal
product of labor
Market Labor
Demand Curve
Quantity of labor (workers)
Equilibrium employment
Is the Marginal Productivity Theory of Income Distribution Really True?
There are some issues open to debate about the marginal productivity theory of income distribution:
Do the wage differences really reflect differences in marginal productivity, or is something else going on?
What factors might account for these disparities and are any of these explanations consistent with the marginal productivity theory of income distribution?
Equilibria the Land and
(a) The Market for Land |
(b) The Market for Capital |
Rental |
SLand |
Rental |
rate |
rate |
|
|
|
R*Capital |
|
|
DLand |
|
|
Quantity |
|
DCapital |
Q* Capital |
Quantity |
Median |
and |
Annual median earnings, 2006
$50,000
0
White male
Marginal Productivity and Wage Inequality
Compensating differentials are wage differences across jobs that reflect the fact that some jobs are less pleasant than others.
Compensating differentials, as well as differences in the values of the marginal products of workers that arise from differences in talent, job experience, and human capital, account for some wage disparities.
Marginal Productivity and Wage Inequality
It is clear from the following graph that, regardless of gender or ethnicity, education pays.
Those with a high school diploma earn more than those without one, and those with a college degree earn substantially more than those with only a high school diploma.
Earnings
Annual
2006
African- |
Hispanic |
Hispanic |
American American |
man |
female |
female |
|
|
Marginal Productivity and Wage Inequality
Market power, in the form of unions or collective action by employers, as well as the efficiency-wage model, also explain how some wage disparities arise.
Unions are organizations of workers that try to raise wages and improve working conditions for their members by bargaining collectively.
Marginal Productivity and Wage Inequality
According to the efficiency-wage model, some employers pay an above equilibrium wage as an incentive for better performance.
Discrimination has historically been a major factor in wage disparities.
Market competition tends to work against discrimination.
So Does Marginal Productivity Theory Work?
The main conclusion you should draw from this discussion is that the marginal productivity theory of income distribution is not a perfect description of how factor incomes are determined, but that it works pretty well.
It’s important to emphasize that this does not mean that the factor distribution of income is morally justified.