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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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1.
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labor that requires minimal specialized skills and education
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2.
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an organization of workers that tries to improve working conditions, wages, and
benefits for its members
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3.
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the value of a worker's output
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4.
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a measure that bans mandatory union membership
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5.
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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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6.
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the theory that education increases productivity and results in higher
wages
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7.
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someone in a professional or clerical job who usually earns a salary
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8.
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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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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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9.
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the practice of negotiating labor contracts that keep unnecessary workers on a
company’s payroll
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10.
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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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11.
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workers who require specialized training and skills
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12.
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the value of a worker's output
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13.
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an organized work stoppage intended to force an employer to address union
demands
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14.
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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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15.
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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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16.
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temporary or part-time employment
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17.
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How are wages for a particular job determined?
a. | By the amount of inflation in the economy. | b. | By the equilibrium
between the supply and demand for workers for that job. | c. | By advertisements in
the newspaper or on line. | d. | By the Federal Wage and Hour
Department. |
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18.
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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 higher because the supply of 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 demand for baggers would be
higher. | d. | Your wages would probably be lower because demand for baggers would be
higher. |
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19.
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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. | in a region with less technology. | b. | in a warmer climate. | c. | where labor was
plentiful and therefore cheaper. | d. | closer to raw
materials. |
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20.
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Which of the following could be considered company benefits?
a. | the employer’s payments to Social Security | b. | weekly
wages | c. | the employee’s payments to Social Security | d. | overtime
payments |
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21.
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Labor unions arose largely in response to the
a. | goal of many firms to hire and retain the most highly skilled
workers. | b. | practice of featherbedding in the railroad industry. | c. | 1938 Fair Labor
Standards Act, which banned child labor. | d. | dangerous working conditions and long hours of
factory jobs in the 1800s. |
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22.
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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. | in equilibrium. | c. | in excess of demand. | b. | too low. | d. | too high. |
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23.
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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. | computer-related jobs | d. | manufacturing jobs |
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24.
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The equilibrium wage for doctors is high because the
a. | demand for doctors tends to be lower relative to supply. | b. | supply of doctors is
relatively high and the demand is relatively low. | c. | demand for doctors equals the
supply. | d. | supply of doctors is relatively low and the demand is relatively
high. |
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25.
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Current labor market trends include
a. | an increase in service jobs accompanied by a decrease in manufacturing
jobs. | b. | an increase in demand for low-skilled American labor. | c. | an increase in the
number of people not counted in employment statistics. | d. | all of the
above. |
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26.
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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. | trend toward contingent employment. | b. | learning effect. | c. | screening
effect. | d. | trend toward having several different jobs during one’s
career. |
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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. | factories producing electronics. | b. | companies such as Standard Oil or Carnegie
Steel. | c. | agriculture. | d. | the service
sector. |
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28.
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What is collective bargaining?
a. | an agreement to allow everyone to be part of the labor negotiating
process | b. | an organization of workers representing several different
occupations | c. | a situation in which the rights of labor have been set aside | d. | union and company
representatives meeting to negotiate a new labor contract |
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29.
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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 gone down significantly. | c. | Wages have varied every few
years. | b. | Wages have stayed the same. | d. | Wages have gone up significantly. |
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30.
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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 server in a fast-food restaurant | c. | an automatic teller
machine | b. | furniture made by hand | d. | a licensed practical nurse |
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31.
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All of the following help explain why carpenters usually earn more than
dishwashers EXCEPT
a. | a greater danger of on-the-job injury for carpenters than for
dishwashers. | b. | a carpenter is a skilled worker, while a dishwasher is a semi-skilled
worker. | c. | a greater supply of carpenters than dishwashers. | d. | a greater demand for
carpenters than for dishwashers. |
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32.
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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. | an increase in the number of dental students in
your area. | d. | a decrease in the number of dental students in your
area. |
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33.
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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. | religion and nationality only | d. | race only |
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34.
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When did labor unions begin to gain some legal rights in the United
States?
a. | 1900s | c. | 1950s | b. | 1920s | d. | 1930s |
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35.
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Approximately what percentage of U.S. workers belong to labor unions?
a. | 9 percent | c. | 13 percent | b. | 25 percent | d. | 42 percent |
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36.
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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 jobs available become easier to get. | b. | The quantity of
labor demanded goes down. | c. | Job opportunities become more
interesting. | d. | The quantity of labor demanded goes up. |
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37.
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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. | large number of information management jobs. | b. | higher
earnings. | c. | contributions to Social Security. | d. | benefits such as health insurance and stock
options. |
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38.
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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. | minimum wage laws. | c. | too much skilled labor. | b. | a glass
ceiling. | d. | low
productivity. |
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39.
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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 data
entry clerks is low. | c. | it is more dangerous to work in a steel mill
than in an office. | d. | the demand for steel mill workers and for data
entry clerks is about the same. |
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40.
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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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41.
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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. | a neutral third party is reviewing the dispute
and will impose a legally binding decision. | d. | strikebreakers will be called in to perform key
tasks. |
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