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Ineconomics andfinance, theprofit rate is the relativeprofitability of an investment project, a capitalist enterprise or a wholecapitalist economy. It is similar to the concept ofrate of return on investment.
The rate of profit depends on the definition ofcapital invested. Two measurements of the value of capital exist: capital athistorical cost and capital atmarket value. Historical cost is the original cost of an asset at the time of purchase or payment. Market value is the re-sale value, replacement value, or value in present or alternative use.
To compute the rate of profit, replacement cost of capital assets must be used to define the capital cost. Assets such as machinery cannot be replaced at their historical cost, but must be purchased at the current market value. When inflation occurs, historical cost would not take account of rising prices of equipment. The rate of profit would be overestimated, using lower historical cost for computing the value of capital invested.
On the other side, due to technical progress, products tend to become cheaper. This in itself should, theoretically, raise rates of profit, because replacement cost declines.
If, however, firms achieve higher sales per worker the more they invest per worker, they will try to increase investments per worker as long as this raises their rate of profit. If some capitalists do this, all capitalists must do it, because those who do not will fall behind in competition.
This, however, means that replacement cost of capital per worker invested, now calculated at the replacement cost necessary to keep up with the competition, tends to be increased by firms more so than sales per worker before. This squeeze, that investments per worker tend to be driven up by competition more so than before sales per worker have been increased, causes thetendency of the rate of profit to fall. Thus, capitalists are caught in aprisoner's dilemma or rationality trap.
This "new" rate of profit (r'), which tends to fall, would be measured as
At the beginning of a "year" (possibly another length of time period, in this case other numerical values will arise) the capitalist has to invest an amount of capital.
For example, he must invest:
Now, it is assumed that during the year the capitalist can produce and sell commodities at a total price of300 €. Volume of sales, therefore, is300 €.
From volume of sales costs of the year must be deducted. Costs ofcirculating capital are expenses for “production material” and for labour power, both of them are consumed in production during the year (that is the definition of “circulating capital”):
In total, costs are275 €.
Sales of300 € minus costs of275 € gives a profit of25 €.25 € in relation to an initial capital investment of500 € gives a rate of profit of5 %. From year to year capital can grow at a rate of 5%, if all profits are invested or accumulated.
InMarxianpolitical economy, the rate of profit (r) would be measured as
where surplus value corresponds to unpaidlabor in the production process or to profits, interest, and rent (property income).