Answer: a) $26,000 Favorable
Explanation:
The Direct labor efficiency variance checks the how well staff are actually utilizing labor hours vs how they are expected to be utilizing it and is calculated by the formula;
Direct Labor Efficiency variance = (Standard hours – Actual hours) x Standard rate
Direct Labor Efficiency variance = ( 43,000 - 41,000 ) * 13
Direct Labor Efficiency variance = $26,000
As the Standard hours are higher than the actual hours used, this is considered a Favorable Variance.