New Jersey’s working men and women will get a very modest but helpful boost on January 1, when the state minimum wage will rise to $8.44 an hour from $8.38 due to annual inflation. But we all know that $8.44 an hour – or about $17,500 a year for a full-time worker – does not provide a sustainable paycheck for these workers to secure even the basics, like food on their plates, a roof over their heads and clothes on their backs.
That’s why the proposal to gradually increase the state minimum wage to $15 an hour over five years is so critical. It will give nearly 1 million working New Jerseyans a pay bump, giving them a better shot at success while boosting the state’s economy. While the governor’s veto pen provided a big setback for these workers, our fight for more livable wages for all New Jerseyans is far from over.
