Employment in NJ Fell in February; Unemployment Rate at 8.2 Percent

Employment in New Jersey was down sharply in February, the 13^th consecutive monthly decline. The state unemployment rate moved above the national rate for the first time since October 2006. The New Jersey unemployment rate rose by 0.9 percentage point from January’s 7.3 percent to 8.2 percent in February, just above the U.S. rate of 8.1 percent.

According to preliminary estimates from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s monthly survey of employers, nonfarm wage and salary employment in the Garden State decreased by 19,700 jobs in February to a total of 3,968,100. Job contraction occurred in both the private (-19,200) and public sectors (-500) of the state’s economy. Based on more complete reporting, the previously released January estimate was revised lower by 3,800 to reflect an adjusted December-to-January loss of 12,700.

The economic fallout from the national recession on New Jersey’s job market has accelerated in 2009, with the loss of over 30,000 jobs over the first two months of the year. Job loss in February was widespread, as declines were recorded in eight of ten supersectors. The largest contractions occurred in professional and business services (-10,000), manufacturing (-5,200), construction (-3,300) and financial activities (-1,700). February losses in these industry supersectors are continuations of downward trends that are following the ongoing national recession which began in December 2007.

Source: New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development

Licensed Site Professional bill a result of patience and persistence

Your Support of the Chamber is Helping to Forge Real Change

Licensed Site Professional bill a result of patience and persistence

Joan Verplanck, President, New Jersey Chamber of Commerce

Little did you realize almost three years ago when you were paying your annual dues and voluntarily contributed to the Chamber’s Enterprise Trust Fund that you were helping to fund a study that would result in some of the most significant legislation to come out of Trenton in years.

Your contributions to Enterprise in 2006 helped to fund the State Chamber’s Site Remediation Benchmarking Study, which recommended that the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) create a Licensed Site Professional (LSP) program for site remediation within the DEP. This study proposed that the DEP borrow aspects of a Massachusetts program to allow certified professionals to proceed through the investigation and remediation of selected sites with a minimum of DEP oversight.

Why is this important to all of us? It is because this legislation enables hundreds of contaminated properties throughout New Jersey to be remediated and put to good use for economic development or recreation purposes. The abandoned warehouse you pass on the way to work that has been dormant for years might finally be redeveloped thanks to this legislation. The same applies to the dilapidated building in that city you always visit and the factory along the rail lines near your home that ceased operating in the 1950s. The LSP legislation will allow DEP to break an 88-year backlog of site remediation cases by allowing outside professionals to get to work and help to turn blighted and often dangerous sites into thriving places once again.

Our Platform for Progress Environment Coalition members, along with others, worked tirelessly for two and a half years, presenting the LSP study to DEP officials and legislators, helping to draft legislation and working with stakeholders to meet the needs of many groups. Finally, after much sweat and hard work, the Senate and Assembly Environment Committees passed the LSP legislation, and it is expected to be passed by the full legislature and signed by the Governor.

I want to thank certain individuals who dedicated many hours and energy to this cause. The list includes Jorge Berkowitz and Nick DeRose of Langan Engineering, Dave Brogan of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, Tony Russo of the Chemistry Council of New Jersey, Steve Senior of Riker Danzig, Andy Robins and Dennis Toft of the New Jersey Builders Association, Mark Smith of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, Eric DeGesaro and John Donohue of the New Jersey Fuel Merchants, Kevil Duhon of the Senate Majority Office, Judy Horowitz of the Office of Legislative Services, and Michael Egenton from my staff. DEP Assistant Commissioner Irene Kropp also deserves special recognition for her dedication and perseverance.

I use the LSP legislation as an example of how your individual membership in the Chamber made a difference. It was through your contribution to Enterprise almost three years ago that we were able to secure the data and lay the groundwork for this important legislation. Because of you, properties that were destined to remain contaminated for many more decades will eventually see life again. The results of your participation are not always immediate. What we are trying to accomplish may take many years. For that reason, it is important for you to be patient and to continue your membership so that we can together change the status quo.

It might not always be apparent, but your support of the chamber is making a huge difference and forging real change in New Jersey. Thank you again for being a member of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and for your continued support.

State Chamber President Joan Verplanck can be reached at joan@njchamber.com.

NJ's Share of Federal Economic Stimulus Plan

New Jersey will receive $5 billion from the federal stimulus package when the money gets dispersed to the states. The following is a list of how we will benefit from the spending plan:

General allocation of New Jersey's share:

• $5 billion overall goes to the state
• $1.33 billion - education funding and the state budget
• $1.33 billion - infrastructure such as roads and bridges and water projects
  
• $2.2 billion - Medicaid support
  
• The rest will go towards such as areas as special education, support for low-income students, and programs such as food stamps, child care and preventing homelessness
  

Residents will benefit from the following:

• More than half of our residents will see a $400-per-worker credit; couples would receive $800. The credit applies to those with incomes under $75,000, and the median income in New Jersey is $68,000. Officials estimate it would mean about $13 a week more in people's paychecks this year. Next year, the measure could yield workers about $8 a week
• $100 a month in unemployment insurance for 731,000 out-of-work New Jersayans; 148,000 laid-off workers will also qualify for extended unemployment benefits
  
• 77,000 families will become eligible for a tax credit for college-saving plans. The plan creates a partially refundable $2,500 tax credit for those saving for up to four years of college
• 1.7 million middle-class New Jersey workers will get a one-year reprieve from the Alternative Minimum Tax

Chamber Applauds NOL Extension Bill Signing

By enacting legislation that extends the net operating loss (NOL) carryover period from seven to 20 years, the Governor and members of the Legislature are taking an important step to revise our corporate business tax code so that New Jersey is positioned to come out of this economic recession in a better competitive position in terms of job creation.

Today, more than ever, accountants and chief financial officers will be scrutinizing their balance sheets and seeking opportunities elsewhere where it makes financial sense. We are pleased our leaders are reviewing past policies and amending them, if necessary, so that our companies have a better chance to succeed and grow over the long-term.

NOL provisions allow businesses to weather economic fluctuations by allowing additional time for investment, growth and expansion, which is particularly important for small businesses and new ventures. Extending the time period for net operating losses will help struggling businesses survive the downturn and retain jobs.

Now that the NOL bill has passed, we are looking forward to the passage of other measures that will reform our tax code and encourage companies to stay here in New Jersey, as well as create jobs. This includes repealing the “throw out” rule and Regular Place of Business requirements, and providing a single sales factor formula. These are all recommendations included in the Chamber’s Corporate Business Tax Reform Package presented to the Governor and members of the Legislature.

In the midst of this current crisis, when all sized businesses are struggling, today's action sends a positive message that our government leaders are serious about putting a plan in place that helps us through this economic crisis and positions us well during the next upturn.

New Jersey's Economic Crisis

Members of the New Jersey Legislature met in a special session yesterday to discuss ways to provide relief to companies in order to spark the economy during these troubling times. The impression provided during the legislative session is that New Jersey became uncompetitive overnight as a result of the current economic woes plaguing the stock market and the rest of the nation’s economy.

In actuality, New Jersey's high taxes and past business policies have stifled job growth and investment in the state for quite some time. The Chamber has been warning for many years that New Jersey’s longstanding fiscal problems would multiply tenfold should a major national economic crisis occur. All indications are that that day has arrived and now our elected officials are scrambling to make some adjustments and undue policies that have resulted in us placing last or close to the bottom in almost every competitiveness poll.

We are pleased that some of the corporate business taxes implemented in 2002 might finally be repealed. It is unfortunate that it took a major crisis for some of these onerous policies to finally be reviewed and hopefully changed.

Click here to read more about the chamber's activities to reform the tax policies of New Jersey.

Chamber Applauds Corzine Ethics Reform Announcements

At 2:30 p.m. today, the Governor will be signing an Executive Order on the steps of the State House dealing with ethics reform.

Specifically the Executive Order will:

• Ban political contributions by state redevelopers and their consultants
• Tighten the current ban on state-contractor contributions to include those made by partners of professional service firms
• Appoint a task force to study whether the Local Government Ethics Law should be changed to match state law
• Update financial disclosure rules for members of newly created boards and commissions
  

In addition, he will be pushing for legislation that will:

• Ban contributions by county government contractors to municipal candidates and ban contributions by municipal contractors to county candidates
• Ban contributions by developers seeking development approvals
• Ban contributions from audit firms and partners to audit clients
  

By signing today's Executive Order and by calling for stronger legislative initiatives designed to dissuade government corruption, he is improving our state's reputation to investors and restoring residents' faith in our government institutions and leaders.

As business advocates, we see this as an economic issue. Financial commitments are made to the state when investors know they are working with elected officials at all levels of government that they believe to be honest. When the credibility of public servants is called into question, investment is chilled and our reputation is forever damaged.

The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce's Platform for Progress Government Reform Coalition applauds these initiatives. If nothing is done, the corruption stories that appear too often will only increase, as these activities become the norm - or the culture of the society.

What Do You Think of the New Transportation Proposal?

Yesterday, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority's board requested that tolls be raised starting in 2009 to help pay for much needed transportation projects. The increases will go towards widening the New Jersey Turnpike (Exits 6 to 8A) and the Garden State Parkway (Exits 63 to 80 and around Atlantic City); providing $1.2 billion over 10 years to fund a mass transit rail tunnel into Manhattan; ensuring bridge safety; and increasing funding to New Jersey Transit.

Tolls on the Parkway would increase from 35 cents to 50 cents in 2009, 75 cents in 2012 and 85 cents in 2023. Drivers that today pay on average $1.20 on the Turnpike see tolls increase to $1.80 next year, $2.70 in 2012 and $3 in 2023.

While the State Chamber and the Platform Coalition have not taken an official position on the current proposal, the organization has supported the projects mentioned in order to improve our transportation infrastructure and boost our economy.

The last time Turnpike tolls increased was in 2000 and Parkway tolls have not gone up since 1989.

For the latest updates on this issue, when they become available, please visit www.njchamber.com.

Tell us what you think of this new proposal.

Click here to complete the survey.