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.

Share:
More In Business
A Smarter Smart Phone?
Smartphones could get much smarter this year as the next wave of artificial intelligence seeps into the devices that accompany people almost everywhere they go.
Who Could Be The World's First Trillionaire?
In an annual assessment of global inequalities, Oxfam International said the first trillionaire could emerge within the next decade — as the anti-poverty organization pointed to the growing wealth gap that skyrocketed globally during the pandemic.
Strong Job Market Fuels Higher Retail Sales
Americans stepped up their spending in December more than expected, closing out the holiday season and the year on an upbeat tone. The Commerce Department said retail sales rose 0.6% in December compared with a November’s 0.3% increase.
Load More