NEW JERSEY — A higher minimum wage. Mental health services for students. More financial literacy for "vulnerable" people. These are some of the laws that may change New Jersey residents' lives in 2022.
Catch up with a few pieces of legislation that will help kick off the new year in the Garden State. Want to stay on top of local news in 2022? Sign up for Patch email newsletters here.
MINIMUM WAGE HIKE
One of the biggest changes that will take place in New Jersey this year actually dates back to 2019, when Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that will gradually raise the state's minimum wage for most workplaces to $15 an hour by 2024.
On Jan. 1, 2022, the state's minimum wage will increase to $13 an hour for most employers, up from $12. The wage for seasonal workers and employees at small businesses of five workers or less will increase eighty cents to $11.90.
Meanwhile, the suggested cash wage for tipped workers such as restaurant staff will increase a dollar an hour to $5.13 (a worker's total earnings of hourly wage plus tips must equal at least the minimum wage per hour).
The minimum-wage – which was $8.85 in January 2019 – increased to $10 an hour in July 2019. It will go up a dollar for most workplaces every Jan. 1 until 2024. However, for seasonal workers and employees at small businesses of five workers or less, the base minimum wage...
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