Minimum wage is on the rise in New Jersey. The Garden State enacted the increase — from $8.85 to $10 — on Monday, the first in a series of pay hikes meant to bring the state to a $15 minimum wage by 2024.
Governor Phil Murphy signed the increase into law in February, and it's expected to impact more than one million New Jersey residents.
Both of the state's senators, Bob Menedez and Cory Booker, supported the legislation.
Seven states have passed similar “Fight for 15” laws, and this year, 18 states have raised their minimum wage ー though not necessarily to $15-an-hour -- according to the National Conference of State Legislators.
Still, on the federal level, the campaign for a $15 minimum wage has not seen success.
The Raise the Wage Act, which would increase that benchmark by 2024, is stalled in the legislature without Republican support.
Today, more than 80 million Americans are paid by the hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Meanwhile, more than half a million Americans make the current federal minimum wage, which has hovered at just above $7 an hour since 2009.
As inflation-weary consumers cut back on dining out, brands like McDonald’s are relying more heavily on celebrity and influencer endorsements to move the needle
Plus, Starbucks reported its first quarter of declining sales and earnings since the pandemic, Biden tries to tackle the national debt and Warren Buffett is set to host the annual meeting of his investment firm Berkshire Hathaway.
