WeakenDiff: Easy
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: An economist claims that if you raise the minimum wage, businesses won't be able to afford as many workers, so people will lose their jobs.
Conclusion: Significantly increasing the minimum wage will lead to a rise in unemployment.
Reasoning: Higher wages increase the cost of labor for businesses, which supposedly makes it impossible for them to maintain their current number of employees.
Analysis: The argument assumes a rigid relationship between labor costs and employment levels, ignoring other variables that might offset the cost. To weaken this, we need to find a scenario where businesses can afford the higher wages without cutting staff—perhaps through increased worker productivity or higher consumer demand resulting from those higher wages. Look for an answer that suggests the 'affordability' of workers isn't solely determined by the hourly rate. It's a very standard economic debate structure often found on the LSAT.
Conclusion: Significantly increasing the minimum wage will lead to a rise in unemployment.
Reasoning: Higher wages increase the cost of labor for businesses, which supposedly makes it impossible for them to maintain their current number of employees.
Analysis: The argument assumes a rigid relationship between labor costs and employment levels, ignoring other variables that might offset the cost. To weaken this, we need to find a scenario where businesses can afford the higher wages without cutting staff—perhaps through increased worker productivity or higher consumer demand resulting from those higher wages. Look for an answer that suggests the 'affordability' of workers isn't solely determined by the hourly rate. It's a very standard economic debate structure often found on the LSAT.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage6.Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the economist's argument?
Correct Answer
A
If businesses typically pass increased wage costs on to consumers without hurting profits, then they can still afford the same number of workers. This undercuts the step from higher wages to 'cannot afford as many workers,' weakening the prediction of higher unemployment.
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