economy - Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy

Gov. Murphy vetoed a 20-year service pension bill for police and firefighters. Here’s why

May 20, 2023

A bill to allow police officers and firefighters with 20 years of service to retire early with a reduced pension, regardless of their age, was conditionally vetoed by Gov. Phil Murphy, who said he wants more clarity on how the legislation would impact the state...

Economists Are Right To Hate Rent Control

May 17, 2023

Progressives keep trying to rehabilitate the reputation of rent control, and often misuse existing research to make their case that it's an effective policy with few, if any downsides. The most recent example comes in the form of an essay for The...

Economists Hate Rent Control. Here’s Why They’re Wrong.

May 16, 2023

The following OpEd was published in The American Prospect by Prof. Mark Paul As any Econ 101 student can tell you, rent control is bad. This is because rent control is a price control, and price controls artificially distort well-functioning markets, resulting in a...

Your tax dollars at work. The 2023 budget details for Warren County’s biggest towns.

May 14, 2023

Warren County municipalities had until April 28 to set their spending plans for 2023, including general fund budgets covering the costs of public services. By and large, property taxes pay for most services, and budgets are kept fairly unremarkable, but one consistent...

New Heldrich brief: Whipsawed, Precarious, and Pessimistic: Americans’ Changing Views About the Economy and Labor Market During a Decade of Fundamental Change

May 9, 2023

Despite significant improvements in the labor market since the Great Recession and the depths of the pandemic, and with historically low levels of unemployment, Americans’ attitudes about the economy have soured.

Republicans take aim at Biden’s climate plan in debt ceiling fight

May 9, 2023

Amid warnings about looming fiscal catastrophe, the GOP is attempting to use Biden’s climate agenda as a bargaining chip over raising the debt ceiling – even if it could hurt Republican voters... “Republicans unfortunately are not allowing government to function as...

Upgrades buoy New Jersey with potential recession ahead

May 8, 2023

New Jersey faces the uncertain economic conditions ahead with historic reserves, a trimmed-down debt profile, and a slew of upgrades from the major bond rating agencies. The state has received six upgrades in a little over a year, including four in April alone,...

Economic Doubts and Downturn?

January 13, 2023

Although a solid 263,000 jobs were created nationwide in November within the context of a 3.7% unemployment rate, the US and New Jersey economies are nonetheless facing headwinds: Inflation remains high and the federal reserve’s attempts to control it by raising...

NJ Money Worries: What You Should Expect to Happen in 2023

December 28, 2022

With the start of the New Year right around the corner, a lot of New Jersey residents are wondering what’s in store for them economically in 2023. According to Rutgers University economist and Dean Emeritus James W. Hughes, the New Jersey economy will do OK at the...

Republicans are likely to seize control of at least the House

October 31, 2022

One factor that could hamper the political relevance of economic issues, such as inflation, is that voters might not have high expectations of their elected officials to actually address them, regardless of their party. "While the economy is on everyone's radar and...