Product and Factor Markets - Economics Help (2024)

A product market refers to a place where goods and services are bought and sold
A factor market refers to the employment of factors of production, such as labour, capital and land.

Product market

  • Demand for product markets comes primarily from households
  • The main sellers of goods are different kinds of firms.
  • Demand for goods is a direct demand. The good is bought for its intrinsic use.
  • The market facilitates the exchange of goods and services in the economy. It is based on a voluntarytransaction across a wide range of places.

Product markets rely on the operation of supply and demand to determine prices

Product and Factor Markets - Economics Help (1)

In this case, an increase in demand can lead to an increase in the price of the product.

Examples of Product markets

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  • Farmer’s market selling vegetables direct to the public
  • Fish market
  • Supermarkets selling a range of goods in a convenient place.
  • Amazon.com – Offering the direct sale of goods, and marketplaces for intermediaries
  • Ebay.com – Offering individuals the opportunity to sell goods.

Factor markets

The factor market is a place where factors of production (land, labour, capital) are bought and sold.

Product and Factor Markets - Economics Help (3)

In this case, an increase in supply of labour and demand for labour leads to an increase in Q of workers and wages staying at W1.

  • Demand for labour and capital is a derived demand. Firms need to employ more workers when there is greater demand for the product that they make.
  • If demand for takeaway coffee rises, then Starbucks will need to employ more coffee workers (baristas)
  • If there is an increase in demand for private dental treatment, there will be an increase in demand for dentists and this will push up the price of dental treatment and also the wage of dentists.

Examples of Factor Markets

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  • A labour exchange where firms post available jobs.
  • Modern equivalents include websites/apps for job seekers.
  • Commercial real estate agents, making available office space to rent

Interaction of product and factor markets

  1. Increase in demand for product leads to increased demand for factors of production

Example – mobile phones and lithium batteries

The rise in demand for mobile phones and other mobile devices has led to astrong rise in demand for lithium. Lithium is used in the batteries.

Product and Factor Markets - Economics Help (5)Higher demand for mobile phones has caused greater demand for lithium batteries.

2. Increase in demand for labour (factor market) leads to increased demand for products.

If firms employ more workers and pay higher wages then this leads to an increase in household income. This enables them to purchase more goods and services. It represents a circular flow of income.

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Product and Factor Markets - Economics Help (2024)

FAQs

What is product and factor markets in economics? ›

A factor market is where businesses are investing in resources to produce goods and services. A product market, or goods and services market, is where individuals go to purchase finished products.

Why is product market important to economics? ›

Markets are an important part of the economy. They allow a space where governments, businesses, and individuals can buy and sell their goods and services. But that's not all. They help determine the pricing of goods and services and inject much-needed liquidity into the economy.

What role do product markets play in the economy? ›

What role do factor markets and product markets play in the economy? Factor markets help the economy grow by giving entrepreneurs necessary gear for ideas to work. Product markets provides consumers with goods and services and in return producers gain money.

Why factor markets are important considerations in economics? ›

An analysis of factor markets also allows us to understand how the income that a society generates is distributed amongst the groups that comprise it. In other words, such analysis will tell us why particular social groups — workers, entrepreneurs, the owners of capital and land — earn what they do.

How do product markets and factor markets work together? ›

The factor market is driven by demand in the product market. The resources needed to produce goods and services are created or obtained in sufficient quantities to satisfy demand in the product market. In effect, the consumer market dictates the factor market.

What is product market example in economics? ›

Product markets refer to markets in which all kinds of goods and services are made and traded, for example the market for airline travel; smart-phones, new cars; pharmaceutical products and the markets for financial services such as banking, mortgages and pensions.

What are two examples of factor market? ›

The main factor market examples are: Labor Market – Employees. Land Market – Land for hire or purchase, raw materials, etc. Capital Market – Equipment, tools, machines.

What is the important factor of market? ›

Market factors are elements of consumer behavior and economic trends that can affect a particular sales market. This can include any variables or phenomena that might impact a business' sales. These factors can be broad, such as a country's economy, or more narrow, such as the demographics of a specific location.

What is the most important factor in an economy? ›

The four main factors of economic growth are land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship.

What is a factor market vs product market quizlet? ›

product markets are markets for goods, while factor markets are made for factors of production - capital, labor, natural resources, and entrepreneurial ability.

What is the difference between product market and resource market? ›

The formal difference between a resource market and a product market is that in a resource market, businesses purchase the resources required to create a product. In contrast, in a product market, actual goods and services that businesses have developed are sold.

What are the product factors in business economics? ›

Economists divide the factors of production into four categories: land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship.

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