PrepTest 158, Section 2, Question 4
Cerrato: Economists argue both that the higher turnover(55 more words not shown)
Which one of the following(5 more words not shown)
- Afull-time workers are(7 more words not shown)
- Bthe companies earning(14 more words not shown)
- Cdissatisfied part-time workers(9 more words not shown)
- Dthe higher turnover(13 more words not shown)
- Ecompanies generally hire(11 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Do part-time workers leave because they're unhappy, or could something else about part-time work explain the turnover? A worker might like the job and still leave for a position with more hours. Higher turnover alone makes me hesitate about the economists' explanation.
But watch where Cerrato goes with it. The economists say part-time workers are more dissatisfied, yet also say those lower-paid workers threaten full-time employees' jobs. Cerrato points out a reason the replacement might not appeal to companies: job satisfaction goes along with efficiency. Replacing a satisfied worker with a dissatisfied one could sacrifice that advantage.
So the response is essentially, “If these workers are so dissatisfied, why expect companies to replace their satisfied employees with them?” Saving on wages isn't the only consideration the argument puts before us.
What we’re looking for
We need to finish Cerrato's argument. My prediction is that dissatisfied part-time workers are unlikely to threaten full-time workers' jobs. Keep the answer on that final line of reasoning. Our earlier question about what causes turnover was a useful reaction, but Cerrato's response concerns whether these workers are a likely replacement.
Working the answers
- A
This says the replacement is likely. Cerrato gives us a reason to expect the opposite: companies are unlikely to trade satisfied employees for dissatisfied ones. A repeats the threat that Cerrato is challenging instead of completing the response to it.
- B
We haven't been told which companies earn the greatest profits or pay the highest wages. An association between satisfaction and efficiency doesn't establish a ranking of companies by wages and profits. This answer takes us away from the proposed replacement of full-time workers.
- CCorrect
If dissatisfied workers are unlikely to replace satisfied employees, those dissatisfied part-time workers are unlikely to be the threat the economists describe. C follows the direction of Cerrato's response and keeps the conclusion modest: unlikely, rather than impossible.
- D
This concerns why part-time workers leave their jobs. That connects with our initial question, but Cerrato doesn't develop an account of the other causes of turnover. The final premise is about companies' reluctance to replace satisfied employees. D doesn't finish that thought.
- E
Hiring part-time workers only when no full-time workers are available would be a much broader restriction. A company could hire part-time staff for additional work without replacing any full-time employee. Being unlikely to replace satisfied employees doesn't establish E's rule about every part-time hiring decision.
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