Diminishing Returns
“Diminishing Returns” is a concept, or more precisely, an empirical finding that shows up in a variety of places in microeconomics. We first encountered it in the module on utility, and then again in this module on production and costs.
What do economists mean by “diminishing returns” to an input? What causes diminishing returns? Have you ever observed this principle at work in a job you’ve had? Describe how you’ve experienced this concept in the real world.
Sample Answer
In economics, diminishing returns refers to the fact that the marginal (additional) output produced by an additional unit of input will eventually decrease as more and more units of the input are added. This is because, as the amount of an input increases, other inputs become less productive, and eventually the additional output produced by each additional unit of input will be less than the previous one.
There are a few reasons why diminishing returns occur. One reason is that as more and more of an input is added, the other inputs may become less productive. For example, if you add more and more workers to a factory, eventually the workers will start to get in each other’s way, and the additional output produced by each additional worker will decrease.