A manager hires labor and rents capital equipment in a very competitive market. Currently the wage rate is $12 per hour and capital is rented at $8 per hour. If the marginal product of labor is 60 units of output per hour and the marginal product of capital is 45 units of output per hour, is the firm using the cost-minimizing combination of labor and capital? If not, should the firm increase or decrease the amount of capital used in its production process?

A manager hires labor and rents capital equipment in a very competitive market. Currently the wage rate is $12 per hour and capital is rented at $8 per hour. If the marginal product of labor is 60 units of output per hour and the marginal product of capital is 45 units of output per hour, is the firm using the cost-minimizing combination of labor and capital? If not, should the firm increase or decrease the amount of capital used in its production process?

Microeconomics A Contemporary Intro

10th Edition

ISBN:9781285635101

Author:MCEACHERN

Publisher:MCEACHERN

Chapter7: Production And Cost In The Firm

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 19PAE

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