Pew Charitable Trusts updated the COVID job loss in all 50 states, and sadly NJ came in 6th-worst.  Sunlight compared the job-loss numbers with the Tax Foundation’s rankings of states’ tax climates for businesses.  Note that eight of the bottom ten states for job-loss are all in the bottom third for tax climate.  Only Nevada, where the gaming industry has taken a particularly hard hit, could be called a low-tax state.

Worst States for Job Loss (Tax Foundation Ranking)

1. Vermont -9.1%  (43)
2. Maryland -8.8%  (44)
3. California -8.7%  (49)
4. Nevada -8.7%  (7)
5. Connecticut -8.7%  (47)
6. New Jersey -8%  (50)
7. Illinois -7.7%  (36)
8. New York -7.5%  (48)
9. Rhode Island -7.3%  (37)
10. Virginia -7.3%  (26)

NJ citizens must remember that NJ already had the WORST TAX CLIMATE IN THE NATION, and yet Gov. Murphy RAISED taxes on businesses in the middle of the pandemic.  That’s a recipe for having 8% fewer jobs.  Good for Murphy’s public-sector union pals, but demonstrably bad for NJ citizens.