So much for the fight for $15.
On Thursday, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop announced the creation of a $20-per-hour living wage statute for all full-time Jersey City employees.
As part of the city’s 2022-2023 fiscal year budget, the living wage statute will boost salaries for hundreds of current and future Jersey City residents and workers from $17 (already one of the highest minimum wage rates in the nation) to $20 per hour — which is $7 more than New Jersey’s current hourly minimum wage.
Jersey City officials said 251 municipal employees will be impacted.
Fulop said the rate is to provide an adequate standard of living and help offset nationwide historic inflation and increased cost of living while retaining employees.
“In Jersey City, we already set the highest minimum wage standards, and we are taking it a step further to provide our residents and workers with a decent standard of living so that they don’t have to decide between feeding their children dinner or making rent,” Fulop said.
“By introducing a living wage, we are raising the bar, putting upwards pressure on salaries, offsetting historic federal inflation levels and cost of living increases, improving employee retention and sustaining our local economy.”
Fulop said the living wage will help ensure all full-time municipal employees receive enough compensation to support their families with food, housing, health care, child care and other daily necessities to ultimately better their futures.
Business administrator John Metro agreed.
“The new living wage threshold will boost employee retention and recruitment and provide workers a new standard of living,” he said. “It will help alleviate the strain on personal expenses, returning those dollars back into the local economy.”
