N.J. measure would eliminate pay history from job application process

Some New Jersey lawmakers want to ban employers from asking job applicants about their salary history.

The legislation would help reduce the inequality of pay between men and women, said Assemblyman Dan Benson.

“If you’re coming from one job — and you already know that you’re being paid less than men in the same position  — and then you go on to take a new position in a new company, and they ask for that pay history, you’re going end up having that compounded when you move to that new job,” said Benson, D-Mercer. “Hopefully, with this new law, we’ll start seeing less of that.”

According to Census data, women’s earnings in New Jersey last year were about 70 percent of what men received.

Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt, D-Camden, said the legislation would also force companies to evaluate new hires solely on their skills and experience.