New Jersey
NJ minimum wage crosses $15 threshold
As 2024 rings in, it also marks the crossing of a notable threshold here in the Garden State when the minimum wage increases Jan. 1 to $15.13 per hour.
That figure, affecting some 350,000 of New Jersey’s nearly 1.9 million hourly workers, surpasses the $15 per hour goal set into law in 2019 and makes the state one of just a handful to reach that mark.
“Raising the minimum wage has been a top priority of mine since day one,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “There is no doubt that inflation has had an impact on every New Jerseyan. Now that we are close to surpassing the $15 per hour milestone, it’s important that we continue to ensure that everyone working in New Jersey has access to a livable wage.”
Industry specifics:
- Seasonal employers and businesses with six or fewer employees have until 2026 to pay workers at least $15 per hour – these employees’ minimum wage increases to $13.73 per hour on Jan. 1.
- Agricultural workers are guided by a separate timetable and were given until 2027 to reach the mark – they will see their hourly wages increase by 80 cents, to $12.81 per hour.
- Long-term care facility direct care staff will see their minimum wage increase by $1 to $18.13 per hour.
- Tipped workers’ cash wage remains at $5.26 per hour with employers able to claim a $9.87 tip credit – a $1 increase. If the minimum cash wage plus an employee’s tip do not equal at least the state’s minimum wage, the employer must pay the employee the difference.
The minimum wage is set by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) using either the rate specified in the law, or a calculation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) – whichever is higher. New Jersey’s constitution specifies that the minimum wage will continue to be adjusted annually based on CPI.
You can check out full details, along with more of the particulars on minimum wage changes on the NJDOL website here.
“Raising and aggressively enforcing the minimum wage signals to employers and workers alike that New Jersey values its workforce,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “While our Department’s Workforce efforts try to ensure workers receiving minimum wage are only doing so for a small part of their career, this is a proud moment for New Jersey as we become one of the few states with a minimum wage above $15 an hour that will continue to be adjusted each year for inflation.”
The NJDOL also announced changes in the maximum benefit rates and taxable wages for its Unemployment Insurance (UI), Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI), Family Leave Insurance (FLI) and Workers’ Compensation programs, which begin Jan. 1, 2024.
Business as usual
“The New Jersey business community expected the minimum wage to rise to around $15/hour on Jan. 1 so there’s no surprise with this increase. Employers had time to prepare so it’s business as usual in regard to that,” Tom Bracken, president and CEO, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, told NJBIZ in a statement. “However, there is talk during the lame duck of expanding paid family leave which would be an additional financial burden on small businesses. This creates much unpredictability for them – and adds further financial constraints on their ability to operate.”
“We have always said businesses will pay what they can afford. According to our 2024 Business Outlook Survey, 34% of businesses increased pay for employees by 5% or more. Three years ago, during the height of the pandemic, that number was only 12%,” Michele Siekerka, president and CEO, New Jersey Business & Industry Association (NJBIA), told NJBIZ in a statement. “And despite uncertain economic outlooks nationally and in New Jersey, businesses expect that upward trend to continue in 2024, with 21% saying they’ll increase wages more than 5%.”
“However, we also saw less in the way of profits in 2023,” Siekerka continued. “Only 32% of respondents reported profits for the year. At the same time, 44% reported a loss. And in recent years, we have still seen a ton of small businesses shudder because, as we emphasize more than ever, every dollar counts. That’s not a tag line. That’s the truth.”
Regarding talk of potentially looking into raising the minimum wage further – as the governor has hinted at – Siekerka believes that the market is always the best natural determinant, as opposed to another mandate.
“The truth of the matter is that more entry-level positions exceeded the $1 increase per year over the past five years, especially given the aftermath of COVID and workplace demands,” Siekerka explained. “It also should be said that the state constitution specifies that minimum wage be determined by the CPI. We shouldn’t be dismissing that. It might be better to take a pause to analyze inflation and the free market rather than just setting a number.”
She stressed that we do not know which way the economy is going.
“And there are still businesses that are still very much vulnerable,” said Siekerka. “Most of our employers have a keen awareness to the economy and their own bottom lines. They know what they can afford and what they can’t. Let the free market do its work.”
Most of our employers have a keen awareness to the economy and their own bottom lines. They know what they can afford and what they can’t. Let the free market do its work.
— Michele Siekerka, president and CEO, NJBIA
In a press release, Business for a Fair Minimum Wage applauded the 22 states (including New Jersey) that are ringing in the new year with a minimum wage increase. According to the national network of business organizations, owners and executives that believe an increased minimum wage makes good business sense, another three states and the District of Columbia are scheduled for increaseses later in 2024.
“Minimum wage increases are a great way to start the new year,” said Holly Sklar, CEO, Business for a Fair Minimum Wage. “They help workers put food on the table and keep a roof overhead and they boost the consumer spending that businesses depend on. Fairer wages help businesses hire and retain employees and deliver the reliable customer service that leads to repeat customers instead of lost customers. While the federal minimum wage falls further and further behind the cost of living at just $7.25 an hour, state increases are vital for workers, businesses, and communities.”
This story is part of the WHYY News Climate Desk, bringing you news and solutions for our changing region.
From the Poconos to the Jersey Shore to the mouth of the Delaware Bay, what do you want to know about climate change? What would you like us to cover? Get in touch.
In the early 1980s, New Jersey was on the brink of losing its last remaining bald eagles. Only one nesting pair existed in the state, and their eggs weren’t hatching because of the lingering effects of the insecticide DDT, which was banned in 1972.
Following decades of restoration work, bald eagles now nest in every New Jersey county. This week, the state removed the bald eagle off its endangered species list — more than 17 years after the majestic bird was federally delisted.
“I’ve been around a long time and have not seen very many species delisted. So, it really is a very special thing,” said Kathy Clark, chief of the endangered and nongame species program at New Jersey Fish and Wildlife.
In 2024, New Jersey surveyed a record 293 nesting pairs of bald eagles, of which 264 laid eggs. Their highest numbers are found along the Delaware Bay, where protected marshlands and coastal creeks provide ideal habitats. The state was able to delist the species because their reproductive rate over multiple years reached sustainable levels.
The success story follows years of artificially incubating eggs, introducing eagle chicks from Canada, monitoring nests and educating the public.
“What this really shows is that big picture conservation is possible. It starts with an inspirational spark that causes a wide swath of people to care deeply, and then the work requires learning, effort and perseverance over the long term,” said Alex Ireland, president and CEO of the environmental group New Jersey Audubon. “It’s very important that we think about this proactively as we go forward. It is much better to conserve species before listing is ever required.”
Following the nationwide recovery of the bald eagle, starting in the Chesapeake Bay, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the predatory bird in 2007.
The national ban on DDT, as well as policies aiming to protect birds of prey, played a role in the eagles’ recovery, said Jason Weckstein, an ornithologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.
“Eagles are an amazing success story. They went from being pretty rare — it was not something that you saw in the suburbs — and now, here in my neighborhood in Wynnewood, I see bald eagles all the time,” he said. “Look up, because there’s a good chance you’ll be able to see an eagle.”
However, several states did not immediately remove bald eagles from their own endangered species lists. For example, Pennsylvania made the move in 2014.
Doris Priest, a lifelong Burlington County resident, has watched countless landmarks in her community fade into the past.
But there’s one place she prays will endure: her beloved church.
“It’s a small church. It’s just quaint,” said Priest, who is the vice president of the Lumberton Historical Society.
That quaint church is Trinity Episcopal in Vincentown, New Jersey.
It was built in 1871 near the banks of the Rancocas Creek, where it’s stood firm ever since.
However, the growing threats of climate change could soon uproot it.
Priest said each year brings stronger storms and worsening flooding.
“I think it was 2003 we had 5 feet of water in the church,” Priest said. “We get very scared. It was devastating to walk in and everything was gone.”
According to climate risk data from Firststreet.org, more than 37,000 properties in Burlington County are at risk of major flooding over the next 30 years.
That’s why Trinity Episcopal Church is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace and raise the 154-year-old foundation. The plan is to elevate it 4 feet in hopes of preventing future damage.
“In this country, we lose a lot of our history and that upsets me,” Priest said. “We’re trying to save history.”
The church will remain closed during construction, which is expected to be completed by Easter Sunday.
Officials in Camden County let data back up their claims that crime in the area is at the lowest its been in five decades.
“We had 17 documented murders in 2024. The last time we were that low was in 1985, 40 years ago,” Camden County Police Department Chief Gabriel Rodriguez said.
Back in 2012, the Camden City’s mayor agreed to reform the police department which led to the creation of the Camden County Police Department in 2013.
Since then, commissioners note that crime in all areas have steadily declined.
“We dissolved a failing police department. One that was not serving its community. And constructed and rose up a police department that is now second to none in this nation,” Camden County Commissioner Louis Cappelli explained.
According to the Uniform Crime Report between 2014 and 2024, violent crime is down 50% with homicides, robberies and burglaries down about 72%. Other crime rates, including rape and arson, have also dropped.
Officials say that in addition to restructuring the police department, state and local funding allocated to public safety and educational investments are what helped improve the quality of life in many areas hit by crime.
Some schools were renovated and others were rebuilt. Many of the area parks were beautified and gave the youth safe places to learn and play.
“Our students not only deserve a quality education, but also facilities that make them feel seen, and valued,” Giana Campbell, of the Camden Education Fund, said.
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