Report

Raising New Jersey’s Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour Would Boost a Large and Diverse Group of Working Men and Women

Increasing New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021 would directly boost the pay of about 1 in 4 Garden State workers, or 975,000 men and women.

By

Published on Mar 23, 2016 in Economic Justice

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Increasing New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021 would directly boost the pay of about 1 in 4 Garden State workers, or 975,000 men and women. The wage increase would help a diverse group of workers who currently aren’t paid enough to make ends meet, improving their chances of getting by – and, often, providing for their families – in high-cost New Jersey.[1]

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Endnotes

[1] This Economic Policy Institute analysis of 2015 Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group microdata looks at characteristics of New Jersey workers earning less than the equivalent of $15 an hour in 2021, or less than $13.16 in 2015 dollars. The estimated workforce is calculated from the CPS respondents who were 16 years old or older, employed, but not self-employed, and for whom either a valid hourly wage is reported or one can be imputed from weekly earnings and average weekly hours. Consequently, this estimate represents the identifiable wage-earning workforce, a subset of total state employment.

Author

  • Jon Whiten was formerly the Vice President for NJPP. In this role, he worked with the Board and leadership team to shape and execute NJPP's mission and strategic vision. He also led NJPP’s strategic communications efforts, managed its finances and operations, researched key economic justice issues and engaged in advocacy and outreach.

    Jon's research interests include but aren't limited to: economic development, corporate taxes, the minimum wage, working family tax credits and transportation.

    Before joining NJPP in October 2011, Jon worked for a decade as an editor, writer and entrepreneur, including as the founding editor and publisher of the Jersey City Independent. He has previously served as an editor for the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, a fact-checker for Columbia Journalism Review and an assistant editor at a community newspaper chain in Northern Virginia. His freelance work has been published in a number of national and local publications.

    Jon currently serves as the Deputy Director of State Communications at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.


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