So what do we know...
There are 552 workers, specialists and non specialists but we don't know how much of one or the other.
But we DO know that the number of specialists has to be a multiple of 12 and the number of non specialists a multiple of 9. If we have for example 10 non specialists, one ninth of that would be 1.111111. This is not possible because we are dealing with humans here... right?
So we have to find a two numbers, one is a multiple of 9 and the other a multiple of 12 and the sum of both numbers has to be 552.
One such pair would be 396 (non specialists) and 156 (specialist).
One ninth of 396 is 44. So only 44 non specialists would have accepted the $49 bonus.
44 * 49 = 2156
One twelfth of 156 is 13. So only 13 specialists would have accepted the $84 bonus.
13 * 84 = 1092
2156 + 1092 = $3248 total payout.
THE PROBLEM: So far I don't know if 396 and 156 is the only possible pair.
UPDATE: No it's not the only pair but doesn't matter.... answer is 3248.
Try to do it with the new number included please... I am really sorry!
I had thought of this too, but there are multiple pairs, so I thought this wasn't the solution?
yes... seems so
Actually it doesn't matter which pair you use... result is always the same.
Actually it does matter for 49 and 84. It doesn't matter at 63 and 84 though.
This is because 1/9x49 doesn't equal 1/12x84, but 1/9x63 does equal 1/12x84.