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1.
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According to economic theory, what happens to job opportunities in low-paying
jobs when the minimum wage goes up?
a. | The quantity of labor demanded goes down. | b. | Job opportunities
become more interesting. | c. | The quantity of labor demanded goes
up. | d. | The jobs available become easier to get. |
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2.
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Approximately what percentage of U.S. workers belong to labor unions?
a. | 42 percent | c. | 25 percent | b. | 9 percent | d. | 13 percent |
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3.
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Emily has been waiting for a promotion to a management position for almost five
years. When she notices that men fill most of the higher-level jobs in her company, she suspects that
her company has
a. | too much skilled labor. | c. | minimum wage
laws. | b. | a glass ceiling. | d. | low productivity. |
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Identifying Key Terms
Match each term with the correct
statement below. a. | white-collar worker | f. | right-to-work
law | b. | unskilled labor | g. | productivity | c. | learning effect | h. | equilibrium wage | d. | labor
union | i. | glass
ceiling | e. | semiskilled labor | j. | collective bargaining |
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4.
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an unofficial, invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from
advancing in businesses dominated by white men
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5.
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someone in a professional or clerical job who usually earns a salary
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6.
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a measure that bans mandatory union membership
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7.
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labor that requires minimal specialized skills and education
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8.
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an organization of workers that tries to improve working conditions, wages, and
benefits for its members
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9.
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the wage rate that gives neither an excess supply of workers nor an excess
demand for workers
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10.
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the theory that education increases productivity and results in higher
wages
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11.
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the value of a worker's output
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12.
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The label in your jeans says that they were made in a Latin American country.
This is probably because the jeans manufacturing company wanted to locate its plant
a. | where labor was plentiful and therefore cheaper. | b. | closer to raw
materials. | c. | in a warmer climate. | d. | in a region with less
technology. |
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Identifying Key Terms
Match each term with the correct
statement below. a. | blue-collar worker | f. | equilibrium
wage | b. | white-collar worker | g. | skilled labor | c. | productivity | h. | featherbedding | d. | strike | i. | arbitration | e. | screening effect | j. | contingent
employment |
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13.
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the value of a worker's output
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14.
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temporary or part-time employment
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15.
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the theory that the completion of college indicates to employers that a job
applicant is intelligent and hard-working
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16.
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workers who require specialized training and skills
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17.
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the wage rate that gives neither an excess supply of workers nor an excess
demand for workers
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18.
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an organized work stoppage intended to force an employer to address union
demands
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19.
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a settlement technique in which a third party reviews the case and makes a
decision that is legally binding for both sides
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20.
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the practice of negotiating labor contracts that keep unnecessary workers on a
company’s payroll
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21.
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In inflation-adjusted dollars, how have average wages in the United States
changed in the last 20 years?
a. | Wages have stayed the same. | c. | Wages have gone up
significantly. | b. | Wages have varied every few years. | d. | Wages have gone down
significantly. |
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22.
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Tracy, a recent college graduate who earned straight “A’s” as
a history major, is applying for a job as a legal assistant. Although she does not have a background
in law, she hopes to land the job because of the
a. | learning effect. | b. | trend toward contingent
employment. | c. | trend toward having several different jobs during one’s
career. | d. | screening effect. |
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23.
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You live in a community with many teenagers, and you work during the summer
bagging groceries for a low hourly wage. How might living in a community with fewer teenagers looking
for grocery bagging jobs affect your hourly wage?
a. | Your wages would probably be lower because demand for baggers would be
higher. | b. | Your wages would probably be lower because the supply of baggers would be
higher. | c. | Your wages would probably be higher because the supply of baggers would be
higher. | d. | Your wages would probably be higher because demand for baggers would be
higher. |
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24.
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Your cousin tells you that his trucking company has resorted to arbitration with
the trucker’s union. This means that
a. | the company will call in a mediator if arbitration fails. | b. | the trucker’s
union is on strike. | c. | strikebreakers will be called in to perform key
tasks. | d. | a neutral third party is reviewing the dispute and will impose a legally binding
decision. |
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25.
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The strength of labor unions has declined in recent years because
a. | some manufacturers have relocated to countries where labor is cheaper or to the
American South. | b. | the number of white collar jobs is increasing. | c. | the number of blue
collar jobs is decreasing. | d. | all of the
above |
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26.
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Labor unions arose largely in response to the
a. | 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, which banned child labor. | b. | dangerous working
conditions and long hours of factory jobs in the 1800s. | c. | goal of many firms
to hire and retain the most highly skilled workers. | d. | practice of featherbedding in the railroad
industry. |
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27.
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When your grandfather and his friends entered the work force in 1950, they were
likely to have jobs in
a. | companies such as Standard Oil or Carnegie Steel. | b. | the service
sector. | c. | factories producing electronics. | d. | agriculture. |
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28.
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Which of the following is an example of using physical capital instead of human
capital to get a job done?
a. | a licensed practical nurse | c. | an automatic teller
machine | b. | furniture made by hand | d. | a server in a fast-food restaurant |
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29.
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Current labor market trends include
a. | an increase in the number of people not counted in employment
statistics. | b. | an increase in service jobs accompanied by a decrease in manufacturing
jobs. | c. | an increase in demand for low-skilled American labor. | d. | all of the
above. |
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30.
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What is collective bargaining?
a. | an organization of workers representing several different
occupations | b. | a situation in which the rights of labor have been set aside | c. | union and company
representatives meeting to negotiate a new labor contract | d. | an agreement to
allow everyone to be part of the labor negotiating process |
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31.
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In your community there are enough lawncare workers to fill all the lawncare
jobs available. There are also no unemployed lawncare workers. You can assume that the wage paid to
lawncare workers is
a. | too low. | c. | in excess of demand. | b. | in equilibrium. | d. | too high. |
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32.
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All of the following help explain why carpenters usually earn more than
dishwashers EXCEPT
a. | a greater supply of carpenters than dishwashers. | b. | a carpenter is a
skilled worker, while a dishwasher is a semi-skilled worker. | c. | a greater danger of
on-the-job injury for carpenters than for dishwashers. | d. | a greater demand for carpenters than for
dishwashers. |
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33.
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The equilibrium wage for doctors is high because the
a. | demand for doctors equals the supply. | b. | supply of doctors is relatively low and the
demand is relatively high. | c. | supply of doctors is relatively high and the
demand is relatively low. | d. | demand for doctors tends to be lower relative
to supply. |
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34.
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Suppose the cost of having your teeth filled rises in your area. The result will
likely be
a. | a decrease in the equilibrium wage paid to dentists in your area. | b. | no change in the
number of dental students in your area. | c. | a decrease in the number of dental students in
your area. | d. | an increase in the number of dental students in your
area. |
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35.
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For which kinds of discrimination does the EEOC handle complaints?
a. | race, sex, color, religion, or nationality | b. | race and sex
only | c. | race only | d. | religion and nationality
only |
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36.
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Which of the following jobs are expected to grow significantly?
a. | agricultural workers’ jobs | c. | police and fire fighters’
jobs | b. | manufacturing jobs | d. | computer-related jobs |
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37.
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How are wages for a particular job determined?
a. | By advertisements in the newspaper or on line. | b. | By the amount of
inflation in the economy. | c. | By the Federal Wage and Hour
Department. | d. | By the equilibrium between the supply and demand for workers for that
job. |
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38.
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Jon is deciding between a job with Company A that pays $500 a week and a job
with Company B that pays $550 a week. He decides to take the job with Company A, whose lower
compensation is offset by its
a. | benefits such as health insurance and stock options. | b. | higher
earnings. | c. | large number of information management jobs. | d. | contributions to
Social Security. |
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39.
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Which of the following could be considered company benefits?
a. | overtime payments | b. | weekly wages | c. | the employer’s
payments to Social Security | d. | the employee’s payments to Social
Security |
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40.
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Mark is switching from his job as a data entry clerk in an office to a job in a
steel mill. One reason his wages will increase significantly in his new job is that
a. | the supply of steel mill workers is high. | b. | the demand for steel
mill workers and for data entry clerks is about the same. | c. | the demand for data
entry clerks is low. | d. | it is more dangerous to work in a steel mill
than in an office. |
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41.
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When did labor unions begin to gain some legal rights in the United
States?
a. | 1900s | c. | 1920s | b. | 1930s | d. | 1950s |
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