What does normal profit represent in economics?

Normal profit represents a level of profit where total revenue equals total costs, including both explicit and implicit costs. This means that when a firm is earning normal profit, it is covering all its costs, and the economic profit (which accounts for opportunity costs) is zero. Normal profit signifies that resources are being used efficiently in producing goods and services, and the firm is just breaking even in a competitive market.

Choosing normal profit as a level equal to zero economic profit reflects the understanding that businesses will continue to operate as long as they can cover their costs, including the cost of their own time and resources. If a firm were to earn more than normal profit, it would indicate economic profit, which suggests that the company is performing better than the minimum required to keep its resources in that industry. Therefore, the notion that normal profit is the point of zero economic profit is fundamental in economics, establishing the context for firms' operations and decisions within competitive markets.