New Jersey’s minimum wage ticked up to $15.13 an hour on Monday, completing the last of a five-year phased-in increase to get the state above the $15 threshold.
New Jersey will continue to see minimum wage increases in coming years, though those rises will be tied to inflation, rather than the predetermined amounts set by legislators in 2019 and expiring today.
In a joint statement, Gov. Murphy, Lt. Gov. Way, and state Democrats boasted of New Jersey’s minimum wage surpassing $15 an hour.
“As we begin a new year full of hope and optimism, we are incredibly proud that New Jersey’s statewide minimum wage is now over $15 an hour. When we first began our work together in January 2018, New Jersey’s minimum wage was only $8.60 per hour. Today, thanks to the bill signed into law in February 2019, we are one of only a handful of U.S. states with a minimum wage over $15 an hour. And it is also indexed annually to inflation, which means working families won’t fall behind when prices go up.
“Making life more affordable for New Jersey families is our highest priority. Today, over 350,000 hourly workers will benefit from this much needed boost in earnings — a long and hard fought victory for working families across our state.”