State of New Jersey Archives: on Jobs
Ray Lesniak:
Job creation by career fairs & keeping existing employers
As Chairman of the Senate Economic Development Committee, one of Senator Lesniak's top goals is job creation. We partnered to sponsor "Get New Jersey Working", a free career fair which was attended by over 1500 job seekers. Over 80 area employers
participated in this event and many of the constituents who came in seeking a job that morning walked away with at least one interview.With Senator Lesniak's help, community events such as "Get New Jersey Working" will continue to be an example of
strengthening our economy one job at a time. Senator Lesniak has been instrumental in expanding health care opportunities at Trinatas Hospital. Port Elizabeth employs thousands of
Elizabeth residents and Senator Lesniak has been the leading voice in Trenton to help our ports maintain their #1 status as a destination for cargo on the East Coast.
Source: 2016-17 N.J. Governor campaign website, RaymondLesniak.com
Phil Murphy:
Raise minimum wage to $15 an hour
Phil believes an economy simply works better when people can afford to participate in it--and that the best way to grow the economy is from the middle class out. Since the end of the Great Recession, New Jersey's gains have gone to those at the top,
with middle-class and working families getting even less than before. Phil will turn that around by:- Raising minimum wage to $15 an hour, so that those who want to work can support their family and ensure that no one who works full time in
2017 lives in poverty.
- Mandating earned sick leave, and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit;
- Ensuring equal pay for equal work;
- Establishing a child and dependent care tax credit to ease the
burden on families struggling with the high costs of care;
- And finally making millionaires and corporations pay their fair share of taxes, so we can make the investments we need in our schools.
Source: 2017 N.J. gubernatorial campaign website, Murphy4NJ.com
Jun 6, 2017
Chris Christie:
Zero means zero: fight abuse of sick leave & pension fraud
Let's not forget the expensive practice of sick leave payouts for government employees. Sick time should be used when you're sick. If you're lucky enough to be healthy, that's your reward. Sick leave has been abused too many times, and the cost is real.
Almost a billion dollars in liability facing NJ towns--$880 million to be exact. And it will only get higher if the system is not fixed. These reforms are common sense: let's lift this billion dollar albatross off the necks of NJ's towns. Let's together
enact the "zero means zero" plan.Our pension system is burdened by some who collect disability retirement because they claim they are "totally and permanently disabled," but who are now working full-time. So we've established by Executive Order
a special unit to prosecute pension fraud. Let's go even further to solidify our pension system and reduce costs by reforming our disability retirement system to end this fraud and abuse. This will also help us to reduce property taxes.
Source: 2014 State of the State address to N.J. Legislature
Jan 14, 2014
Barbara Buono:
Raise minimum wage & restore Earned Income Tax Credit
Under Gov. Christie, New Jersey boasts the highest unemployment rate in the region, foreclosures are on the rise and New Jersey's property taxes are the highest in the nation. With so many families struggling, Barbara's top priority is putting New
Jerseyans back to work. Barbara is committed to creating the chance to get an affordable education and a good job and to go as far as your talents take you. That's why she introduced legislation to make college costs more transparent and fought to
keep higher education costs down. She's championed efforts to hold down property taxes by asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share, and she's cut taxes for small businesses to spur new hiring.
Barbara's leading the fight to increase NJ's minimum
wage and ensure it keeps up with inflation. And as governor, she'll restore funding for the Earned Income Tax Credit that was slashed by Governor Christie, helping more hardworking New Jerseyans support their families and move from welfare to work.
Source: N.J. Gubernatorial 2013 website, buonoforgovernor.com
Apr 25, 2013
Chris Christie:
I inherited 119,000 private-sector jobs lost
Christie said on March 6th that the year before he took office, the state lost 119,000 private-sector jobs, labeling them "Corzine jobs losses of 2009."Christie's number is in the ballpark. Let's look at the Republican governor's numbers and whether
Corzine is truly to blame for those lost jobs. Both the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and NJ Department of Labor show NJ had 3,209,900 private-sector jobs in December 2009. A year prior, the state had 3,325,600 private-sector jobs. That's a net loss of
115,700 jobs.
Next, we need to determine whether Corzine really is to blame for those lost jobs. The first half of 2009--Corzine's last year in office--was marked by recession. The governor not only can't take all the credit for job gains, he can't pin
blame for loss solely on another administration when there are other factors at work.
Our ruling: Since the governor's number is off slightly and the claim implies that Corzine is to blame for those job losses, we give Christie a ruling of Half True.
Source: PolitiFact.com on 2013 N.J. governor debates
Mar 21, 2013
Barbara Buono:
N.J. unemployment worse than US average & surrounding states
Barbara Buono on Tuesday, March 19th, 2013, said, "While the US has seen its unemployment rate steadily decline, NJ's remains nearly 2% higher than the national average and more than a point higher than CT and NY."There are differing opinions about
how unemployment should be measured but based strictly on the unemployment rate, Buono's three points appear to be valid. The national unemployment rate lingered at 9% throughout 2011. By February of this year it had fallen to 7.7%. So Buono is right
that the US unemployment rate has declined steadily. Next, is NJ's unemployment rate nearly 2% higher than the nation's? It is, but only since about July 2012. Finally, how does NJ's unemployment rate stack up against CT and NY? BLS data shows that NJ's
unemployment rate was at least 1% higher than CT's rate throughout 2012.
Our ruling: Given the varying degrees of accuracy, as well as the state measuring unemployment differently from the BLS, we rate Buono's claim "Mostly True."
Source: PolitiFact.com on 2013 N.J. governor debates
Mar 19, 2013
Chris Christie:
75,000 new private sector jobs since taking office in 2010
Sandy may have stalled New Jersey's economy, but there is plenty of evidence that New Jerseyans have not let it stop our turnaround. The direction is now clear. Here is the latest economic report:- Unemployment is coming down.
-
2011 was our best private sector job growth year in eleven years and 2012 is also positive.
- Personal income set a record high in New Jersey for the seventh quarter in a row.
- Gross income tax receipts are exceeding the Administration's projections
for this fiscal year prior to Sandy.
- Sales of new homes are up.
- Consumer spending is up.
- Industrial production is up.
Since I took this office, participation in New Jersey's labor force is higher than the nation as a whole and the number of
people employed has grown. That means that more people have the confidence to be out looking for jobs, and more people actually have jobs. In total, we have added nearly 75,000 private sector jobs in New Jersey since we took office in January 2010.
Source: N.J. 2013 State of the State Address
Jan 8, 2013
Joe Kyrillos:
Supports state law for minimum wage, but no Amendment
When Kyrillos said he favored raising New Jersey's minimum wage next year--though not by constitutional amendment, as the state's Senate Democratic leader wants to do--Menendez noted that he had a chance to vote for it in
2005. "You've become the biggest flip-flopper in the Legislature," said Menendez. "You voted against a minimum wage increase when you had the chance."Menendez and Kyrillos cast blame in each others' direction for
New Jersey's 9.9% unemployment rate, which is significantly above the national rate of 7.8%. "Other states see their unemployment rates lowering," Menendez said. "What are you doing to create jobs? I don't see it."
For his part, Kyrillos said Menendez was "outsourcing his responsibility" for New Jersey's troubles, and on the state level brought the blame back to the last governor, a Democrat.
Source: Newark Star-Ledger on 2012 N.J. Senate debate
Oct 10, 2012
Robert Menendez:
Supports minimum wage increase
When Kyrillos said he favored raising New Jersey's minimum wage next year--though not by constitutional amendment, as the state's Senate Democratic leader wants to do--Menendez noted that he had a chance to vote for it in
2005. "You've become the biggest flip-flopper in the Legislature," said Menendez. "You voted against a minimum wage increase when you had the chance."Menendez and Kyrillos cast blame in each others' direction for
New Jersey's 9.9% unemployment rate, which is significantly above the national rate of 7.8%. "Other states see their unemployment rates lowering," Menendez said. "What are you doing to create jobs? I don't see it."
For his part, Kyrillos said Menendez was "outsourcing his responsibility" for New Jersey's troubles, and on the state level brought the blame back to the last governor, a Democrat.
Source: Newark Star-Ledger on 2012 N.J. Senate debate
Oct 10, 2012
Chris Christie:
Ok with either unionized state workers or civil service
Lonegan asked Christie, "You don't understand what it is to create a job. I ran a business for 25 years. I employed 50, 60, 70 people. I know what it is to create jobs." Christie responded, "And, you know what it is to hire illegal immigrants."
Lonegan said the state would be better off without a unionized workforce.
Christie said he wanted either unionized state workers or employees working under a civil service system, but not both, which sometimes have differing rules.
Source: Newark Star-Ledger coverage: 2009 N.J. gubernatorial primary
May 26, 2009
Page last updated: Feb 13, 2018