Chapter 7: Q5. (page 280)
A recent issue of Business Week reported the following: During the recent auto sales slump, GM, Ford, and Chrysler decided it was cheaper to sell cars to rental companies at a loss than to lay off workers. That鈥檚 because closing and reopening plants is expensive, partly because the auto makers鈥 current union contracts obligate them to pay many workers even if they鈥檙e not working. When the article discusses selling cars 鈥渁t a loss,鈥 is it referring to accounting profit or economic profit? How will the two differ in this case? Explain briefly.
Short Answer
The article refers to the accounting profit by selling cars 鈥渁t a loss鈥. The accounting profit for the firms will be lower than the economic profit because of sunk cost.