Sir Arthur Lewis’ 2 Sector Model

Like a see-saw

That moves in one

One direction

From the subsistence sector

To the capitalist sector

An unbalanced board

One end down the other up

Wages move from down to top

 

In the subsistence sector

Excess supply of labour

Low wages

Low average productivity

A labour intensive sector

No reproducible capital

Output per head is low

Marginal productivity is zero

Like the see-saw

That I will draw

The down-part of the unbalanced board

 

In the capitalist sector

The additional labour

High wages

High average productivity

Capital intensive sector

With reproducible capital

Output per head is high

Capital is used to live and apply

Like the see-saw

That I will draw

The up-part of the unbalanced board

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