NJ job seekers could soon be getting more detailed salary information

Job seekers in New Jersey could soon be able to get some important information about the position they’re applying for, that hasn’t always been previously available.

New Jersey lawmakers are expected to soon consider a wage transparency measure that would require employers to include a salary range with all job postings.

According to Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, D-Gloucester, the legislation would also force businesses to list what kind of benefits come with the position.

He said it’s not likely people looking for jobs “want to waste time applying for jobs, and then only finding out after they’ve had an interview or two that the job won’t pay them the amount of money that they need to pay the rent and put food on the table.”

More information

Moriarty said this would be beneficial to prospective employees “that can narrow their job search to the jobs that will compensate them in the way that they want to be compensated.”

Moriarty said businesses know how much they want to pay for a job, potential employees know how much they need to earn for a job.

“So why not allow both sides to not waste time at the final stage of a potential employment, when both sides find out that they don’t meet each other’s expectations?”

Leveling the playing field

He said having this kind of information out in the open is also a matter of fairness.

“Salary has always been this kind of hidden, we don’t talk about how much we earn kind of thing,” he said. “If everybody knew how much we were making, we’d probably all be making more money.”

He said the culture of hidden compensation opens the door to discrimination.

“We’ve had years and years and years of history where women made less than men, if everybody knew what they were making we’d probably all make more money,” he said.

Moriarty pointed out a wage transparency law would not eliminate salary negotiations, because different job candidates will have different levels of experience and expertise.

He also said many businesses already provide some salary range information when they have a job posting, but this would simply standardize and regulate the flow of information.

He pointed out that New York City and the state of Connecticut have enacted wage transparency laws. But this kind of information is not available in the Garden State.

“Maybe they’re gonna just focus their job search in New York and Connecticut, which puts New Jersey at a competitive disadvantage in a very tight labor market," Moriarty said.

The proposed bill would also require businesses to make reasonable efforts to announce, post, or otherwise make known all opportunities for promotion to all current employees on the same calendar day and prior to making a promotion decision.

The measure, currently being considered by the Assembly Labor Committee, calls for a $1,000 fine for first-time offenders, $5,000 for a second offense and $10,000 fines for all subsequent non-compliance.

David Matthau is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at david.matthau@townsquaremedia.com

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