While 1.1 million New Jersey residents who work in the private sector have lost their jobs over the past two months. New Jersey's 400,000 public employees have continued to receive paychecks. Facing what could be a 10 billion dollar budget shortfall both houses of the New Jersey State Legislature overwhelmingly approved a plan to partially furlough 100,00 state and local workers through July 31st. The day when enhanced unemployment payments are set to expire. The bill had bi-partisan support from Republicans and Democrats. Senate President Steve Sweeney has proposed cutting non essential government workers back to working 2 days a week instead of 5. Which could save $750 Million Dollars. Senator Steve Oroho said "Everyday we delay costs us money. We have to do everything we can to save tax dollars now to avoid a bigger budget crisis later." Hetty Rosenstein, state director of the Communications Workers of America New Jersey's largest public employee union told NJ.COM " We need people on the job, we don't need them furloughed. We need them on the job earning a paycheck." Governor Murphy has said he wants to "be careful" about cutting back on non-essential state workers because we might nee them. Although he is keeping an "open mind." The governor appears to be hoping for a massive amount of federal aid for New Jersey.
Source: NJ.COM