EMOTIONAL STORIES DO NOT CREATE JOBS IN NEW JERSEY, SMALL BUSINESSES DO
TRENTON (May 16, 2016): In response to the Senate Labor Committee voting to advance a bill that would ultimately increase New Jersey’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, the following statement may be attributed to National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) New Jersey state director, Laurie Ehlbeck:
Lawmakers continue to prove that instead of listening to economists and business experts they would rather kowtow to special interest groups. The public relations machine was in full force today as supporters of this legislation told emotional stories designed to tug at the heartstrings and instill empathy. It is imperative for our Senators to figure out at some point that passionately charged anecdotes don’t create jobs and strengthen our economy, small business owners do.
The minimum wage rate was never intended to feed entire families or be made for a lifetime. It is an entry level or training wage that is earned for the most part by teenagers or those seeking to subsidize their household’s income. Drastically increasing the minimum wage in New Jersey will not help fight poverty or save a family’s house but it certainly will lead to tens of thousands of fewer jobs in this state and an economic situation that will be even direr than it already is.
