New Jersey Paid People Not To Work. Now It Will Pay People To Work

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday that the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) will be rolling out the new “Return and Earn” program which allows unemployed citizens of New Jersey to receive a bonus in their first paycheck upon returning to work.

NEW: We’re launching the Return & Earn Program to assist unemployed workers in their return to work and help small businesses fill the positions they need to fill to grow, thrive, and lead our economic recovery.
https://t.co/jAg0i41q4Z pic.twitter.com/yB2U3p2wL1

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) September 27, 2021

This new program will roll out a $500 bonus on the first paycheck in an effort to incentivize returning to the workforce, according to the official announcement.

“Throughout this pandemic, I have heard much about the issues facing small businesses and the dedicated, hard-working men and women who enable their success,” Murphy said. “Our Administration is committed to assist businesses in hiring workers, while providing benefits to those entering and re-entering the workforce that will set them up for success in their new jobs and their future careers. This program will help both businesses and their workers, and is yet another step that we have taken to boost our economy.”(RELATED: ‘This May Be The President’: NJ Governor Misses A Very Important Call During A Live Broadcast)

The “Return and Earn” program is being facilitated by the NJDOL and is using New Jersey’s existing On-the-Job Training infrastructure to provide reimbursement for wages paid out by employers under the new program for up to six months with a cap of $10,000. New Jersey employers will be reimbursed 50% for regular hours paid out during the contracted employer-provided training period, according to the announcement.

As of August there were close to 500,000 unemployed people in Jersey collecting extended federal unemployment, according to North Jersey.

If you’ve exhausted your unemployment benefits, are not eligible, or need additional support, helpful resources are available to you. Learn more https://t.co/13yB6ShSVt

We also encourage everyone to visit https://t.co/GPq7VUYuWM for job search tools, free training, and much more pic.twitter.com/nELsf1Dudi

— NJ Labor Department (@NJLaborDept) September 7, 2021

The new “Return and Earn” program rolls out after Gov. Murphy announced Aug. 30 that the State will end it’s unemployment benefits.

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