N.J. lawmaker wants to nudge businesses to hire long-term unemployed

The Assembly Labor Committee has advanced legislation to spur job growth in New Jersey.

The measure would provide tax credits to businesses that open a new site in New Jersey and give full-time jobs to residents who’ve been unemployed for more than 13 weeks.

Assemblyman Nelson Albano, D-Cape May, is sponsoring the bill.

“Usually they’re folks who have mortgages and everything else,” he said. “What we’re trying to do is to provide some kind of mechanism to put these people back to work with some type of priority.”

Republican Assemblyman Jay Webber, R-Morris, voted against the measure.

“It’s just micromanaging the economy. What make someone who’s been unemployed for 14 weeks any more worthy of getting a job than someone who’s been unemployed for 12 weeks?” he said.

Albano said his bill is also a way of helping businesses to grow.

“There are a lot of businesses out there that are right now sitting back. They would like to expand. Maybe open a subdivision down in South Jersey or if they’re in South Jersey open up a subdivision in North Jersey,” Albano said. “This would give them an incentive to say maybe now is the time to move.”

Webber says the best way to encourage companies to expand in New Jersey is to lower the overall tax rate.