SMALL BUSINESS CALLS OUT GROUP FOR MISLEADING REPORT

Date: March 23, 2016 Last Edit: March 24, 2016

SMALL BUSINESS CALLS OUT GROUP FOR MISLEADING REPORT

(TRENTON) March 24, 2016: In response to a new report
released yesterday by New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP), the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released the following
statement this morning which may be attributed to NFIB New Jersey state
director, Laurie Ehlbeck:

This is a study of those currently making less
than $15 an hour, not necessarily minimum wage earners and that distinction is
imperative to understanding the actual, real-life
impact that such a drastic increase would have on employment opportunity in the
state of New Jersey. Those currently earning more than the existing minimum
wage but less than $15 are a different class of employees and should not be
confused with people earning the actual minimum wage. The study released yesterday
is blatantly misleading the public into believing that such a dramatic policy
change would be beneficial for the state.

The minimum wage rate
was never intended to feed a family of 4; it
was designed as an entry level or training wage, not something to aspire to. If lawmakers are concerned with
helping the less fortunate, they should spend their energy on employment
training and education, not decimating the very sector that is responsible for
an overwhelming amount of jobs in New Jersey.

The small business
community could not disagree in stronger terms with the implication that
raising the minimum wage to almost double what it is now will assist lower-income families with little repercussions
to the economic status of our state. Multiple studies exist that analyze actual
minimum wage earners, and they repeatedly show that increasing the minimum wage
has no impact on poverty rates and will ultimately decrease employment
opportunities for lower-skilled workers.

The long-term impact
that an increase to $15 an hour would have on the small business community
cannot be understated. Interstate competition for businesses is at an all-time high, and our members are already battling one
of the worst economic climates in the country. To virtually double the minimum
wage will no doubt send many employers out of New Jersey and into friendlier
fiscal environments, and they’ll take their job opportunities with them. Those that
remain in the state will have no choice but to drastically
increase the costs of their goods and services to the detriment of the
economy statewide.

 

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