Wherever they live, whatever their backgrounds, and regardless of the obstacles they have faced, New Jerseyans benefit when they are offered long-term economic opportunity.
Today, disparities in earning power and overall economic security among its residents prevent New Jersey as a whole from achieving and sustaining the growth needed to promote well-being and to keep the state an attractive place to raise a family, start a business, and build a future.
Establishing a framework of shared economic well-being will take assertive public policies that build on New Jersey’s assets—its location, its excellent higher education institutions, its extensive (if fraying) transportation network, its ability to attract striving immigrants—while attacking the many barriers to full participation in the economy.
A three-pronged approach is required:
- Reducing structural barriers to opportunity
- Increasing public investment in small businesses
- Helping New Jerseyans gain the education and skills needed for a good job