Applications of Demand and Supply
4.2 Government Intervention in Market Prices: Price Floors and Price Ceilings
ANSWER TO TRY IT! PROBLEM
A minimum wage (Wmin) that is set above the equilibrium wage would create a surplus of unskilled labor equal to (L2 - L1). That is, L2 units of unskilled labor are offered at the minimum wage, but companies only want to use L1 units at that wage. Because unskilled workers are a substitute for a skilled workers, forcing the price of unskilled workers higher would increase the demand for skilled labor and thus increase their wages.
