Brenda owns a construction company that employs bricklayers and other skilled tradesmen. her firm’s mrp for bricklayers is $22.25 per hour for each of the first seven bricklayers, $18.50 for an eighth bricklayer, and $17.75 for a ninth bricklayer. given that she is a price taker when hiring bricklayers, how many bricklayers will she hire if the market equilibrium wage for bricklayers is $18.00 per hour?
a: eight
b: more information is required to answer this question
c: seven
d: nine
e: zero