Congratulations! Based on Your Performance Advising the Prime Minister on Employment

question 17

Essay

Congratulations! Based on your performance advising the prime minister on employment related issues in the past, your contract has been renewed. This time your task is to analyze the effect of quasi-fixed labour costs on the demand for labour. In the report that you prepare for him or her, you should cover the following points.
• Define quasi-fixed labour costs and give some concrete examples.
• Explain intuitively the impact of quasi-fixed labour costs on labour market behaviour. You need not give a graph, but give some mention of the discounted present value of the stream of wages and the stream of the values of marginal product is desirable.
• The prime minister is very concerned about high unemployment and would like for you to explain why overtime is prevalent when employers could be meeting their labour force needs by hiring unemployed workers. He is also concerned about the growing use of casual and part-time labour rather than full-time labour. Do you have any policy recommendations that speak to this issue?

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Definitions:

Interpersonal Skill

The ability to effectively communicate, interact, and build relationships with others, often crucial for collaboration and teamwork.

Social Needs

The human requirements for belonging, affection, acceptance, and friendship that motivate behavior and influence social interactions.

Motives

Internal drives that propel an individual to take action toward a specific goal.

Sustain Behavior

The ability to maintain an action or conduct over time, even in the face of challenges.