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Economics New Jersey Loses 25,600 Jobs as Unemployment Falls to 4.4 Percent, Per Latest DOL Report – On August 20th the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development released the July 2026 Employment Report showing New Jersey lost 25,600 jobs last month. Despite the loss in nonfarm jobs, the state’s unemployment rate ticked downward from 4.5 […]

Women, Children, & Families Gov. Sherrill Signs New Legislation to Protect Children Online – On August 11th, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed three bills that aim to advance research on the effects of social media on childhood development, strengthen online safety measures for minors, and explore warning labels for online content marketed at children. Bill A4015/S3413 requires […]

Transportation New Law Expands On-Demand Micro-Transit Options – Governor Mikie Sherrill signed Bill A4761 into law on August 7th, which authorizes counties to expand on-demand microtransit options for seniors and people with disabilities. This bill expands upon existing legislation to include county-run on-demand microtransit services, enabling transportation access for seniors and people with disabilities through ride-hailing […]

On Wednesday, August 5th, the New Jersey State Policy Lab hosted the end-of-summer presentations for the 2026 intern cohort at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. These presentations are the culmination of the work accomplished through the 10-week internship program, guided by teaching assistant Vageesha Sharma, who is a Ph.D. student at the […]

Public Administration Gov. Sherrill Denies Federal Request for Voter Registration Records – On July 21st, Governor Mikie Sherrill revealed that 6,600 noncitizens were registered to vote through a software malfunction in the Motor Vehicle Commission system between June 2023 and June 2024, though only approximately 400 of that number are believed to have voted. Following the […]

Transportation New E-Bike Registration and Insurance Requirements Now in Effect – Bill S4834, signed by then-Gov. Phil Murphy in January, took effect on July 20th, establishing New Jersey’s first registration, licensing, and insurance requirements for electric bikes. The law creates two classifications: e-bikes which top out at 20 mph must be registered with the NJ […]

Environment & Energy Gov. Sherill Signs Bill Directing State to Procure New Nuclear Power Plant – On July 13th, Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed Bill A4881, directing the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to begin soliciting proposals for construction of at least one new nuclear power plant, with the aim of adding 1,100 megawatts of generating […]

Environment & Energy Bill Reintroduced to Establish ‘Pollinator-Friendly’ Label for Plants, Implement Pesticide Regulations – On June 30th, New Jersey Assembly Bill A3094 was engrossed and filed for introduction into the 2026 legislative session. It is sponsored by Lisa Swain (D-38), Chris Tully (D-38), and Clinton Calabrese (D-36). This bill gives the commissioner of the New […]

The Jersey Vindicator recently published an article discussing the findings from the NJSPL’s latest R/ECON Economic Forecast for Summer 2026 from Research Affiliate Will Payne and Tarun Arasu.

Nortjersey.com published a new article which referenced past research conducted by the New Jersey State Policy Lab which examined population shifts in NJ

Public Administration Gov. Sherrill Signs Off on FY2027 Budget – On June 30th, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the fiscal year 2027 budget into law, marking it the largest budget in state history with nearly $61 billion earmarked in funding. Total appropriations are $60.7 billion, 3.7% higher than FY2026’s budget, with $7.3 billion in spending reserved […]

Public Administration Senate and Assembly Budget Committees Approve $60.7B Budget for Fiscal Year 2027 – On June 29th, several outlets reported that the New Jersey Senate and Assembly Budget Committees approved a $60.7 billion annual spending bill and additionally advanced hundreds of millions of dollars in additional spending for legislators’ priorities in a separate bill […]