Governor Christie put the interests of working families ahead of union interests when he recently vetoed a proposed $15-an-hour minimum wage.

A $15 minimum wage would have severely reduced employment opportunities in New Jersey.

Drs. David Macpherson of Trinity University and William Even of Miami University, following a methodology developed by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, estimated that the state would lose more than 33,000 jobs as a consequence of this policy.

These lost jobs are tragic but not unexpected. A recent survey of labor economists from the University of New Hampshire found that about three-quarters (76 percent) believe a $15 minimum wage would have a negative effect on the number of jobs available. A $15-per-hour minimum wage in New Jersey was a bad idea, and the governor’s veto protected the jobs of less experienced employees, who need them most.