Economy
Reformers call for end to discriminatory pricing in N.J. car insurance
Most drivers might assume their car insurance rates are based on their driving history and safety record. Instead, many insurers use education, occupation, and consumer credit scores to determine rates, charging higher premiums for those least likely to afford them: poor and minority drivers. But a bill now before the Legislature could provide relief. The […]
Biden calls on Congress to pass infrastructure bill, touting new Portal Bridge construction
President Joe Biden kicked off the week in New Jersey with Gov. Phil Murphy and other state officials to celebrate the impending construction of the new Portal Bridge, with Biden using the trip to deliver remarks on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill and spending plan that are stalled in Congress. Speaking in front of three […]
22K new jobs in New Jersey in September, unemployment at 7.1%
New Jersey added 21,500 jobs in September, the ninth consecutive month of gains, according to the latest job gains report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The latest gains mean New Jersey has recovered 68.1%, or 488,100, of the total 717,200 jobs lost statewide during the pandemic, the data shows. While that lags behind […]
Workers prepare for Gateway project as infrastructure bill remains stalled
Across a 61-acre expanse of dirt and weeds beside the New Jersey Turnpike in South Brunswick, workers toil on construction projects that will never be finished. Crane operators delicately drop hooks from 140 feet overhead into metal barrels. Bulldozer drivers plot proper water runoff by shaping slopes too subtle to see with a glance. Trucks […]
State doesn’t have to pay for pandemic-related business failure, court rules
A Sussex County business owner who blamed the closure of her kickboxing gym on state-ordered pandemic regulations lost her bid for compensation from the state after an appellate court ruled against her Monday. Superior Court Judge Garry S. Rothstadt, writing for the three-judge appellate panel that heard the case, sided with Gov. Phil Murphy in […]
Does raising the minimum wage kill jobs?
For decades it was conventional wisdom in the field of economics that a higher minimum wage results in fewer jobs. In part, that’s because it’s based on the law of supply and demand, one of the most well-known ideas in economics. Despite it being called a “law,” it’s actually two theories that suggest if the […]
N.J. career centers set to reopen after prolonged closures
New Jersey’s one-stop career centers, which can be a lifeline for the state’s jobless, are set to reopen Monday when state employees are scheduled to return to their offices. Some lawmakers worry the centers may see lines of people hoping to get unemployment claims settled, even though the centers are not equipped to handle those […]