An employer has a daily payroll of $1225 when employing some workers at $80 per day and others at $85 per day. When the number of $80 workers is increased by 5% and the number of $85 workers is decreased by 1/5, the new daily payroll is $1540. How many were originally employed at each rate?

Question

An employer has a daily payroll of $1225 when employing some workers at $80 per day and others at $85 per day.  When the number of $80 workers is increased by 5% and the number of $85 workers is decreased by 1/5, the new daily payroll is $1540.  How many were originally employed at each rate?

Reiny · Answer

let the number of workers at $80 be x
let the number of workers at $85 by y

80x + 85y = 1225 ---> 16x + 17y = 245 #1

80(1.05)x + 85(.8)y = 1540
84x + 68y = 1540
21x + 17y = 385 #2

subtract #1 from #2
5x = 140
x = 28

When I then sub in x = 28 into #1
I end up with a negative y.
illogical, can't have negative number of workers.
Something is wrong with he question, or I made some silly mistake.
check over what I did, I can't find it.