Let L denote the level of employment (measured in thousands of worker hours), and W the hourly wage. Suppose that the supply of labor is given by LS=10+2W and that the demand for labor is LD=40-W.
Calculate the equilibrium wage and level of employment.
a. What would happen if a union imposed a wage floor of $20 per hour?
b. Ignoring part (a), what would happen if there was a sudden increase in the demand for labor? More specifically, suppose that at each wage, employers demand 15,000 more worker hours.