NEW JERSEY – New Jersey’s minimum hourly wage will go up by $1 to $12 per hour, for most employees, on January 1, 2021, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced Wednesday.
The minimum hourly wage for employees of a small employer or those engaged in seasonal work will increase to $11.10, while employees who work on a farm for an hourly or piece-rate wage will see their minimum hourly wage increase to $10.44, both rising from $10.30.
In February 2019, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a landmark law that incrementally increases the minimum hourly wage to $15 (in 2024) for most employees, but gives seasonal, small, and agricultural employers more time to reach the new minimum threshold.
“The Labor Department is tasked not only with providing benefits to people who are out of work, but also equipping our workforce with the tools and resources they need to earn sustainable wages,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “We applaud the Governor for recognizing that the minimum wage must also be a living wage, and for giving low-wage earners a fair chance at financial success.
“The New Jersey Wage and Hour Law, as amended in 2019, requires NJDOL to revise the minimum hourly wage rates annually by either the amount specified in the law, or by an amount based on any increase from the prior year in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is higher. NJDOL regulations require the Department to publish notice of the new minimum hourly wage rates on its website by Sept. 30 and that the notice later be published in the New Jersey Register.
Once the minimum wage reaches $15 per hour, the state Constitution specifies that it continue to increase annually based on any increase in the Consumer Price Index.
For more information on the minimum wage, click here.
