Microeconomics
ECO402
VU
·
The
long-run response to short-run
profits is to increase output
and profits.
·
Profits
will attract other
producers.
·
More
producers increase industry
supply which lowers the
market price.
Long-Run
Competitive Equilibrium
·Profit
attracts firms
·Supply
increases until profit =
0
$
per
Firm
Industry
$
per
unit
of
S
unit
of
output
output
LMC
P
$40
S
LAC
$3
P
0
2
D
Q2
Q
Output
q2
Output
Long-Run
Competitive Equilibrium
1)
MC
= MR
2)
P
= LAC
·
No incentive to
leave or enter
·
Profit =
0
3)
Equilibrium
Market Price
Questions
1)
Explain the market
adjustment when P < LAC
and firms have identical
costs.
2)
Explain the market
adjustment when firms have
different costs.
3)
What is the opportunity cost
of land?
Economic
Rent
Economic rent
is the difference between
what firms are willing to
pay for an input
less
the
minimum amount necessary to
obtain it.
An
Example
Two firms
A
&
B
Both own
their land
A
is
located on a river which
lowers A's
shipping
cost by $10,000 compared to
B
124
Microeconomics
ECO402
VU
The demand
for A's
river
location will increase the
price of A's
land
to $10,000
Economic rent =
$10,000
·
$10,000 -
zero cost for the
land
Economic rent
increases
Economic profit
of A
=
0
Firms
Earn Zero Profit in Long-Run
Equilibrium
A
baseball team
Ticket
in
a moderate-sized
Price
city
sells enough
tickets
so that price
is
equal to marginal
LMC
LAC
and
average cost
(profit
= 0).
$7
Season
Tickets
Sales
(millions)
1.0
Ticket
Price
LMC
LAC
Economic
Rent
$10
A
team with the
same
$7
cost
in a larger city
sells
tickets for $10.
Season
Tickets
Sales
1.3
(millions)
With
a fixed input such as a
unique location, the
difference between the cost
of production
(LAC
= 7) and price ($10) is the
value or opportunity cost of
the input (location)
and
represents
the economic rent from
the input.
If
the opportunity cost of the
input (rent) is not taken
into consideration it may
appear that
economic
profits exist in the
long-run.
125