If marginal benefit is less than marginal cost in a competitive market, what is the likely outcome?

In a competitive market, when marginal benefit is less than marginal cost, it indicates that the cost of producing one more unit exceeds the benefit gained from consuming that unit. Therefore, producers are not incentivized to produce additional units because they would not cover their costs, leading to inefficiencies in the allocation of resources.

As a result, this condition typically signals that the quantity produced is greater than what would be considered the sustainable equilibrium quantity. The equilibrium quantity occurs where marginal benefit equals marginal cost, representing an optimal point for resource allocation. If marginal benefit is lower than marginal cost, there is an overproduction relative to this equilibrium point, meaning the quantity sold exceeds the equilibrium quantity.

Thus, in this context, it is understood that when marginal benefits are not being met by marginal costs, adjustments are necessary, and the market will typically respond by decreasing the quantity sold until those factors balance out, creating a more efficient outcome.