Hudson County Becomes First in the State to Attach a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to its “Living Wage” Law

JERSEY CITY, NJ – Hudson County became the first county in the state and perhaps the nation to attach a cost of living adjustment to its “living wage” following the Freeholder Board’s unanimous approval of  a measure championed by County Executive DeGise and Freeholder O’Dea. As a result of this policy, the “living wage” base rate will rise by 25 cents from $10.88 to $11.13 per hour or $520 for the year for a full-time worker.

“Our coalition applauds Hudson County’s leadership and the proactive approach which they are taking to support living wage jobs,” stated Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. Chair Charles Hall, Jr. “As a coalition, that represents the interests of families all across the Garden State, we will continue to work with our community allies to make it the priority of our state, not to just help people lift themselves out of poverty, but to create a realistic pathway to the middle class, just as Hudson County has done today.”

A worker, Ismael Garcia, who will benefit from the increase passed today, stated that “The high cost of living in this part of the state makes it extremely hard to get by and save for the future. This increase will help reduce some financial pressure and ensure that the wage I am making today is not weakened by rising costs. I am extremely thankful to Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. and the many coalition partners that lent their support to our community and are fighting to improve the lives of local families who are striving to work hard and make a living.”

“Having spearheaded the “Raise the Wage” campaign in New Jersey, our coalition understands the broad benefits that are realized by families, businesses, and the community when workers earn enough to make ends meet,” added Hall. “The Hudson County COLA is another step towards achieving those benefits.”

Working Families United for New Jersey, Inc. is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) statewide grassroots organization, comprised of over 256 labor, religious, community, civil rights, student, women, and retiree groups, collectively committed to improving the quality of life for all New Jersey families through issue advocacy and encouraging participation in the democratic process.

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