Friday Facts and Figures is a weekly newsletter with data points, analysis, and commentary on the biggest policy debates in New Jersey and beyond.
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$14.13
New year, new minimum wage! On January 1, New Jersey’s minimum wage rose to $14.13 per hour for most workers; this is the latest increase under the 2019 law signed by Governor Murphy that will raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2024. In total, more than 500,000 workers across the state will benefit from this increase, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute. A higher minimum wage is great news for working families and the economy alike — this will give low-paid workers more purchasing power and help them afford basic needs like housing and groceries. [Quartz / Ananya Bhattacharya]
Top 5
And speaking of wages, New Jersey ranks in the top five states for medium income — but this stat doesn’t tell the full story. Based on geography, New Jersey displays a wide disparity in salaries with North Jersey boasting the highest median incomes and South Jersey representing the lowest. However, just because some counties have higher wages overall doesn’t mean income inequality is absent. “Compare Camden and Cherry Hill, right? There’s a similar breakdown in terms of income inequality (in New Jersey) across race, across geography, across educational attainment,” said NJPP Senior Policy Analyst Peter Chen. “I find some of the line drawing distinctions between different regions of the state to be counterproductive because they all exist in the same ecosystem together.” [NJ.com / Amira Sweilem]
210,644
With the application deadline for the new ANCHOR property tax relief program fast approaching, new state data finds that most eligible renters have yet to apply for their $450 benefit. Of the roughly 900,000 eligible renters, only 210,6444 have applied so far. Meanwhile, more than one million homeowners have applied out of nearly 1.2 million eligible households. This is a big problem given that this program was created to make the state affordable for homeowners and renters alike, especially when you consider that renters are disproportionately people of color and, on average, have lower incomes than homeowners. The deadline to apply is January 31. [NJ Spotlight News / John Reitmeyer]
500,000
The state Board of Public Utilities unveiled a new proposal to create electric charging infrastructure for 500,000 medium- and heavy-duty trucks, buses, and tractor-trailers — by far the biggest polluters in the state. The transportation sector as a whole is the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in New Jersey, and diesel trucks alone are responsible for 25 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions despite making up only 4 percent of vehicles on the road. “This proposal has been long awaited and should result in more investment in charging infrastructure,’’ said Doug O’Malley, Director of Environment New Jersey. [NJ Spotlight News / Tom Johnson]
Language
Language is a policy choice, NJPP’s Peter Chen explained to NJ Monitor for their coverage of the movement to use more inclusive language in government and pending legislation that would require the state to replace phrases like “alien” and “illegal alien” in public programs. “Whatever you choose, there’s no neutral,” Chen said. “The term ‘alien’ is, by definition, alienating. It’s no surprise that it infects the way America thinks about its immigrant population. The choice of the word ‘alien’ wasn’t an accident, and it has really harmed the way that we think about people who are not born here.” [NJ Monitor / Dana DiFilippo]
ICYMI
On Tuesday, Governor Murphy will deliver his annual State of the State address. Looking for key takeaways? All NJPP donors are invited to join us on Zoom on Thursday, January 12, from 9:30 AM – 10:15 AM for hot coffee and hot takes on the address and what we can expect to see in the months to come. Want to join the conversation? Email Jennifer Fekete-Donners at jennifer@njpp.org to reserve your space today.
Pet of NJPP
Meet Popeye, Alex Ambrose’s neighbor’s cat. Popeye likes to pop by Alex’s backdoor to torment and tease her cats. Meow!
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