New Jersey minimum wage workers begin seeing pay increases
HADDONFIELD, N.J. (CBS) -- Workers in New Jersey who are earning minimum wage have started seeing pay bumps as a result of a state law passed in 2019.
New Jersey's minimum wage rose from $13 an hour to $14.13 an hour.
At Passariello's Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen in Haddonfield, about 25% of its staff, mostly students, will see the wage hike.
"I think it's amazing," William Cody, a student and worker, said. "I think it'll help me a lot with my student loans and paying bills."
Manager Clemente Passariello said the restaurant's already paying the other 75% of their staff well over minimum wage.
"We just think everyone deserves it," Passariello said. "As inflation goes up, we think everyone's pay should go up as well."
Some public policy research nonprofits, including the Employment Policies Institute, argue a higher minimum wage will cause businesses to shut down because they can't afford to pay higher wages, which, in turn, would mean people losing their jobs.
By this time next year, New Jersey's minimum wage will go up once more to $15 an hour.