BUCCO STATEMENT ON MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE

Deputy Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco, R- Morris and Somerset, who is a member of the Assembly Budget Committee, issued the following statement today after the General Assembly passed legislation increasing the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $8.50 per hour. The bill, A-2162, also provides for annual increases based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI):

“Increasing the minimum wage by 17 percent will not help New Jersey’s economy. It will have a negative effect on a large segment of wage earners who are seasonal employees or part-time workers. Businesses will adjust their operation in a manner that will not help those who are earning money to pay for college tuition or car insurance. At a time when a number of small businesses are trying to recover from October’s superstorm, this bill will not help them in that effort.

“In addition to increasing the rate by 17 percent, an equally faulty provision of this bill is adjusting the rate annually based on increases to the CPI. Employees compensated at this level, who are typically between the ages of 16 and 21, could very well see their ranks diminish or the number of hours they work reduced. It is naïve to think businesses will not adjust to this increase accordingly. Ultimately, the increase in the cost of doing business will be passed onto the consumer.”

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