The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
New Jersey. The
New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the
New Jersey state government under the auspices of the department.
Initially constituted in the late-1940s, pursuant to P.L. 1948, c.446, as the Department of Labor and Industry, the department is one of 16 executive branch departments in New Jersey state government. Governor
Jim McGreevey's enactment of P.L. 2004, c.39 in June 2004 changed the name of the department from the New Jersey "Department of Labor" to the New Jersey "Department of Labor and Workforce Development." In addition to the name change, the statutory revisions consolidated and reorganized the state's workforce system.
Department leadership
*Commissioner
Robert Asaro-Angelo
*Deputy Commissioner Catherine Frugé Starghill, Esq.
*Chief of Staff Gregory Townsend
Major program areas and selected accomplishments
The department administers several of the most important programs in State government that affect the daily lives of those in the workforce,
such as the
workers' compensation courts, the
unemployment insurance
Unemployment benefits, also called unemployment insurance, unemployment payment, unemployment compensation, or simply unemployment, are payments made by authorized bodies to unemployed people. In the United States, benefits are funded by a comp ...
program, the temporary disability insurance program, the family leave
insurance program, wage and hour enforcement, and various One-Stop Career Centers.
The department houses the Employee Residency Review Committee, as established by the New Jersey First Act (; P.L. 2011, c.70). Signed into law by Governor
Chris Christie
Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018.
Christie, who was born in N ...
and effective September 1, 2011, the New Jersey First Act contains new residency requirements for most public officers and employees. The New Jersey First Act states in pertinent part that a person may apply to the committee for an exemption from the residency requirement based on certain criteria.
To improve the skills of the state's workforce, the department awards grants to businesses to help train their employees. Literacy skills training grants are designed to improve workers'
language proficiency,
reading comprehension, communication, mathematical skill, and
computer literacy
Computer literacy is defined as the knowledge and ability to use computers and related technology efficiently, with skill levels ranging from elementary use to computer programming and advanced problem solving. Computer literacy can also refer ...
skills. Customized Training grants are awarded to companies to help improve workers' skills in specific areas. Grants are awarded monthly on a competitive basis and can be used for either classroom or
on-the-job training On-the-job training (widely known as OJT) is an important topic of human resource management. It helps develop the career of the individual and the prosperous growth of the organization. On the job training is a form of training provided at the work ...
.
On November 30, 2011, Lieutenant Governor
Kim Guadagno, who was serving as acting governor at the time, formally launched the Jobs4Jersey.com website at the
Trenton One-Stop Career Center. Administered by the department, the free website guides both job seekers and employers "through the maze of state and federal services and offers a unique tool that allows visitors to go online and quickly upload or create a customized
résumé." The website is designed to connect job seekers and employers looking for workers.
Website for NBC 40 Atlantic City, Published on November 30, 2011, at 10:54 p.m.
/ref>
References
External links
{{authority control
Labor and Workforce Development
State departments of labor of the United States