A $15 an hour minimum wage in New Jersey may be on the horizon, pending the passage of Bill A-15 in the state Senate and Assembly. The Assembly Labor Committee scheduled a hearing on the bill on January 24, 2019. Any business that wishes to voice comments should contact members of the Labor Committee.
Gov. Phil Murphy and state lawmakers announced a deal on January 17, 2019, to raise New Jersey’s minimum wage over the next five years. The main schedule proposes to raise minimum wages to $10 an hour in July 2019, with a $1 increase every January 1 until relevant workers reach $15 an hour in 2024. Reports indicate that the legislature hopes to vote on the bill by the end of January 2019.
Excluded from this schedule are certain small business employees, seasonal workers and farm workers. However, their wages are still set to increase. Employees at small businesses of five workers or fewer and seasonal workers will reach $15 an hour by January 1, 2026, while farm workers will see an increase to $12.50 an hour over the next five years.
The agreement demands additional review of these workers’ wages after the first phase of increases. For small business and seasonal workers, the deal anticipates parity with the rest of New Jersey’s workers by January 1, 2028. For farm workers, they could see $15 an hour by 2027 if the New Jersey Labor Commissioner and Secretary of Agriculture jointly recommend it in 2024. The deal also creates tax credits for employers that hire people with disabilities.
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