gcse economics - how we work- past exam questions

Past exam questions on work and labour markets

HIGHER LEVEL

• What do you understand by the term mobility of labour? (4)

• Consider the implications of an increasingly mobile workforce from the viewpoint of the firm, the worker and the economy.
a) firm (4)
b) worker (4)
c) economy (4)

• Discuss the policies which a government might use to create a more mobile labour force (7)

• Using the data given (see 2001 paper), show that despite improved qualifications and a narrowing pay gap, women still earn less than men. (4)

• Using the data and your knowledge of economics, explain the reasons for the pay gap between men and women. (6)

• Discuss measures which could be used to reduce the pay gap by:
1) employers (4)
2) the government (4)

• What might be the impact on the economy of achieving equal pay between men and women? Explain your answer.

The diagram below shows the supply of and demand for labour in a particular industry, which has a minimum wage:

• The equilibrium wage rate is W1 and the number of workers employed is Q1. With the help of the diagram, describe the possible impact on the industry of this minimum wage. You might wish to consider wages, number of workers employed, prices of products and profits. (8)

• How do you think the economy will be affected by the introduction of a national minimum wage? Give economic reasons for your answer. (10)

• A national minimum wage is one way in which the government can try to help people into work. Discuss other ways by which the government could also try to achieve this objective. (8)