Two companies require identical skills and training from their workers. Both employ 10,000 people. On average, Safety First has one worker fatality per year, while Safety Second has two worker fatalities per year. Jobs at Safety First pay $50,000/year, while jobs at Safety Second pay $50,500/year.
(a) Why do these jobs with identical requirements pay different salaries, based on the information presented here?
(b) What is the risk for a worker of a fatal accident at each company? What is the pay premium associated with that risk?
(c) The value of a statistical life is the difference in wage divided by the difference in risk. What is the value of a statistical life for workers with these skills and training?
(d) Do you expect this value of a statistical life to be appropriate for the population as a whole? Why or why not?