Number of Output Marginal Product Office Rent Labor Cost TotalCost Workers boxes of Labor (dollars) (dollars)
0 0 --
1 220 400 200
2 250 800
3 680
4 160 1,200
5 940 1,000
6 980 1,600
Suzette's Fancy Packaging subcontracts with Sunshineland Pecans to box dried fruit and nuts for Suzette's mail order business. Suzette rents space for her factory for $400 a week in a nearby strip mall. She can hire temporary workers for $200 a week. Table 11-5 above shows her output and cost data. Use the table to answer questions a-e.
a. Complete the table.
b. In the last week of summer Suzette closes her business to go on a family vacation. What are her costs during that week?
c. In one week Suzette exactly breaks even. If her revenue for the week is $1,200, how many boxes of fruit and nuts did she produce?
d. Judging from the marginal product of labor data, would you say that Suzette had to settle for increasingly unproductive workers? Explain your answer.
e. Suzette has received an order for 1,500 boxes of nuts per week for the next 3 months. If she expects the trend in the marginal product of labor will continue in the same direction, what do you think she should do? Should she not commit until she can move to a larger space or should she just hire more workers? Explain your answer.

a.

Number of    Output  Marginal Product Office Rent  Labor Cost Total Cost

Workers         boxes           of Labor          (dollars)       (dollars)       (dollars)

0                       0                      -                                                               -

1                      220                 220              400              200               600

2                     470                 250              400              400               800

3                    680                  210               400              600            1,000

4                    840                  160               400              800            1,200

5                   940                  100               400            1,000            1,400

6                   980                   40               400             1,200           1,600

b. The costs during the week of summer vacation are: $400

c. She produced 840 boxes.

d. Yes.  Suzette settled for increasingly unproductive workers as the marginal product of labor continued to decline.  The cost of paying the workers remained at a flat rate of $200 per week without the corresponding output to show for the labor cost.

e. Suzette will need to hire more workers.  However, their average productivity needs to be improved greatly to limit the total labor costs.

Explanation:

a) Data and Calculations:

Number of   Output   Marginal Product  Office Rent  Labor Cost Total Cost

Workers        boxes            of Labor          (dollars)       (dollars)       (dollars)

0                       0                      -                                                               -

1                      220                 220              400              200               600

2                     470                 250              400              400               800

3                    680                  210               400              600            1,000

4                    840                  160               400              800            1,200

5                   940                  100               400            1,000            1,400

6                   980                   40               400             1,200           1,600