One problem in the interstate trucking industry is the number of trucks that return empty after making a delivery. There is a website where independent interstate truckers can look for loads to carry on their return trips, known as backhauls. Because the trucks would normally return empty, truckers who use this website to generate business they would not have had otherwise receive a reduced shipping rate. This reduced rate for a backhaul is an example of

Which of the following statements is correct? a. two firms with identical sales and operating costs but with different amounts of debt and tax rates will have different operating incomes by definition. b. free cash flow (fcf) is, essentially, the cash flow that is available for interest and dividends after the company has made the investments in current and fixed assets that are necessary to sustain ongoing operations. c. retained earnings as reported on the balance sheet represent cash and, therefore, are available to distribute to stockholders as dividends or any other required cash payments to creditors and suppliers. d. if a firm is reporting its income in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, then its net income as reported on the income statement should be equal to its free cash flow. e. after-tax operating income is calculated as ebit(1 - t) + depreciation.

Explain whether each of the following events increases, decreases, or has no effect on the unemployment rate and the labor-force participation rate. a. after a long search, jon finds a job. b. tyrion, a full-time college student, graduates and is immediately employed. c. after an unsuccessful job search, arya gives up looking and retires. d. daenerys quits her job to become a stay-at-home mom. e. sansa has a birthday, becomes an adult, but has no interest in working. f. jaime has a birthday, becomes an adult, and starts looking for a job. g. cersei dies while enjoying retirement. h. jorah dies working long hours at the office.

Read the following paragraph, and choose the best revision for one of its sentences. dr. blake is retiring at the end of the month. there will be an unoccupied office upon his departure, and it is big in size. because every other office is occupied, we should convert dr. blake’s office into a lounge. it is absolutely essential that this issue is discussed at the next staff meeting. (a) because every other office is occupied, it’s recommended that we should convert dr. blake’s office into a lounge. (b) because every other office is filled, we should convert dr. blake’s office into a lounge.