Farm workers in Oaks Farmville face a 1/85 probability of death at work and each of them receives a yearly wage of $159,106. Farm workers in Valley Farm face a 1/127 of death at work. Assume that both kinds of job require the same level of skills, effort and that all workers have the same preferences and tastes. The values of an statistical life is computed to be $1,262,558. How much should the workers in the less risky job should get paid

$154,182.02

Explanation:

Probability of Farm workers in ( O.F ) facing death at work = 1/85 = 0.012

Probability of Farm workers in ( V.F ) facing death at work = 1/127 = 0.008

Value of a statistical life = $1,262,558

Determine how much  the workers in less risky job should get paid

The less risky job is working in Valley farm(V.F ) with a death probability of = 1/127 = 0.008

The more risky job is working in valley farm ( probability = 1/85 = 0.012 )

Yearly wage of risky job = $159106

payment for less risky job can be calculated using the relation below

statistical life = ( cost incurred to reduce risk) / ( percentage of risk to death reduced )   ( 1 )

cost incurred to reduce risk =  yearly wage to high risk workers - yearly wage to low risk workers

 =  159106 - X

percentage of risk to death reduced = (probability of death to high risk workers) - ( probability of death to low risk worker )

= 1/85 - 1/127 = 0.0039

back to relation 1

1262558 = ( 159106 - X ) / ( 0.0039)

159106 - X = 1262558 ( 0.0039 )

hence X ( amount to be paid to workers in the less risky job )

X = 159106 - 4923.9762 = $154,182.02