Trenton, NJ – Since Governor Murphy’s indefinite order to close New Jersey’s economy without any plan for re-opening it, the State has seen a record surge in unemployment claims. More than a million workers have applied for unemployment benefits in New Jersey, but hundreds of thousands of residents are still waiting, some as long as six weeks, for their checks. We’re past crisis point.

New Jersey families of all backgrounds are suffering. They need leaders who are kind hearted, not mean spirited, but Governor Murphy has been callous to criticisms of his Administration’s handling of unemployment claims. When he was questioned about his Labor Department’s abject failures, he told New Jersey’s unemployed that if they were unhappy, they could “go to another state”. Ouch.

Governor Murphy needs to show he has the temperament and real solutions to the unemployment crisis, not dismiss the more than one million New Jerseyans wanting answers. Even members of his own party are now publicly urging him to address New

Jersey’s unemployment pandemic.

The NJGOP and Chairman Doug Steinhardt are calling for the legislature to investigate the massive backlog of jobless claims.

“Governor Murphy won’t let you work, but he won’t give you support either, from an unemployment benefit system you’ve been overpaying into since the moment you set foot in New Jersey,” said Chairman Steinhardt. “The Governor’s mix of callousness and incompetence is unnerving. The NJGOP asks the legislature step in, investigate, and find a quick solution to put money in the hands of hungry families. We hope that Senate President Sweeney and Speaker Coughlin will act swiftly to support New Jersey where Governor Murphy and his Administration are failing.”