Study ranks New Jersey the 8th best state to work in

New Jersey ranks in the top ten of states with favorable conditions for workers, according to a new study by Oxfam. It came in #8.

Oxfam describes itself as an organization “that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice.”

The study measured each state in three categories:

• Wage policies: Do workers earn a wage that is sufficient to provide for them and their families?
• Worker protections: This dimension considers the quality of life for workers, especially women and parents
• Right to organize: This dimension asks whether workers have the right to organize and sustain a trade union.

New Jersey is ranked #12 in “Wage Policies” with the study praising the state’s minimum wage unemployment benefits.

In “Worker Protections” the state is #5 with the highlights of the state’s pregnancy accommodations, the mandate for equal pay across gender and race, and employees' lack of access to salary history, among others.

The state is #7 for “Right to Organize.” New Jersey ranks high because of its lack of an anti-union right-to-work law, requiring collective bargaining for both teachers and public employees as well as protection against wage theft retaliation.

The top states in Oxfam’s rankings are #1 Oregon, followed by California, Washington, the District of Columbia, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Colorado, and Illinois.

North Carolina ranks last, followed by Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas.

Take it for what it’s worth; Oxfam obviously favors labor and says that inequality is the most pressing issue of our time.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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