Workers

A question on the influences on labour mobility wants the factors that make moving between jobs (occupational) or places (geographical) easier or harder — family ties, cost of transport and housing, age, skills, education. It does not want you to write "occupational mobility" and "geographical mobility" — those are the two types, not influences on them.

Asked why one group (e.g. women) is paid less on average, explain the economic reasons: fewer skills, training, qualifications or experience on average, more part-time work from family responsibilities, fewer promotions, and sometimes discrimination. Do not just say which jobs each group does (e.g. "men do dangerous jobs") — that describes the work, not why pay is lower.

When workers become more productive, each produces more, so firms want more workers at every wage — this shifts the demand for labour to the right, raising the wage and employment. A productivity rise does not by itself reduce the supply of labour. Move only the curve the question is about.

A national minimum wage set above the market wage is analysed on the new demand for and supply of labour, not the old equilibrium. Above the market wage the quantity of labour supplied exceeds the quantity demanded, so a surplus (unemployment) can arise. Read off the effect at the minimum wage, not at the free-market point.

Do not judge a job by pay alone. A high wage may fail to attract workers if the hours are antisocial, the work is dangerous, or job security is poor. Equally, a lower-paid job can be popular if it offers satisfaction, good conditions or holidays. Always weigh non-wage factors alongside the wage.

Give both sides of specialisation. Advantages: workers become skilled at one task, so output and quality rise and training is quicker. Disadvantages: the work can become boring (lower motivation), one absence can halt the line, and narrow skills make it harder to find other work. A one-sided answer misses marks.