The Conference Board's latest consumer confidence index has dropped slightly, from 81.8 to 79.7, because many people are feeling less optimistic about pay hikes and wage increases over the next 6 months.
The Democrat running against Gov. Chris Christie and the leader of the State Senate are joining with a band of labor leaders and activists to urge New Jersey voters to support a November ballot question, which asks if you'd like to amend the constitution to increase the state's minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8.25.
Recently, Gov. Chris Christie conditionally vetoed a so-called "Facebook" bill because he felt a provision that barred employers from asking a current or prospective employee if they have a personal account or profile on a social networking website could lead to frivolous lawsuits.
New Jersey's unemployment rate continues to hover around 9 percent, higher than other states in the region, and the state also continues rank near the bottom in the nation when it comes to its business tax climate, but this isn't stopping Garden State business owners and executives from supporting Gov. Chris Christie.