Lesson plan
efficiency wage
In labor economics, an efficiency wage is a wage paid in excess of the market-clearing wage to increase the labor productivity of workers. Specifically, it points to the incentive for managers to pay their employees more than the market-clearing wage to increase their productivity or to reduce the costs associated with employee turnover. Theories of efficiency wages explain the existence of involuntary unemployment in economies outside of recessions, providing for a natural rate of unemployment above zero. Because workers are paid more than the equilibrium wage, workers may experience periods of unemployment in which workers compete for a limited supply of well-paying jobs.
Article summary
In labor economics, an efficiency wage is a wage paid in excess of the market-clearing wage to increase the labor productivity of workers. Specifically, it points to the incentive for managers to pay their employees more than the market-clearing wage to increase their productivity or to reduce the costs associated with employee turnover. Theories of efficiency wages explain the existence of involuntary unemployment in economies outside of recessions, providing for a natural rate of unemployment above zero. Because workers are paid more than the equilibrium wage, workers may experience periods of unemployment in which workers compete for a limited supply of well-paying jobs.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.