New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Welcomes Second Statewide Minimum Wage Increase In Last 2 Years

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Some workers in New Jersey are making more money today. Minimum wage crept up another dollar to $11 an hour. It's all part of a push by Gov. Phil Murphy to help families and the economy.

Whether it's serving burgers or pumping gas, some of New Jersey's lowest-paid workers are getting a raise.

As of Jan.1, the new minimum wage is $11 an hour.

"I think it's about time. I think they should be moving to bring it up to $15," one man said.

In 2019, New Jersey passed one of the country's most progressive minimum wage plans. In July, it went from $8.85 to $10 an hour.

On Wednesday came the second bump for most New Jersey workers. The plan is to make $1 increases each January until reaching $15 an hour in the year 2024.

"We need to make sure that families of all income brackets can live here comfortably," said State Director of New Jersey Working Families Sue Altman.

Altman says raising the minimum wage is an important step to improve the quality of life for the working poor. She supports a second labor law that went into effect on Jan. 1.

Thanks to an executive order by Murphy, employers in the state may no longer ask job applicants about their past pay. They are prohibited from investigating applicants' salary history.

Advocates say, over time, it will address income inequality.

"We know that there are systemic gaps for people of color and women against their white or male counterparts. So preventing employers or prospective employers from asking those questions about prior earnings means people will get what they're worth and what the market mandates."

State officials estimate that 200,00 fast food or traditionally low-wage workers will receive pay increases because of the new bump.