Between the Lines
NJ State Budget Annual “Extras”
Learn more about the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars within the NJ state budget awarded to local governments and nonprofit organizations without any public process or merit-based criteria.
LATEST WORK
GSI Analysis: New Jersey GDP and Income Growth Relatively Low Last Summer
January 23, 2026
Real GDP growth rate of 3.4% well under national pace of 4.4% and most neighbors. Personal income growth rate 3.0%…
GSI Analysis: New Jersey Labor Market: Unemployment Rate Stayed High in December, but Job Gains Reversed Recent Losses
January 22, 2026
State’s unemployment rate unchanged at 5.4% Job increase of 5,700 brought the count to a new peak. New Jersey’s labor…
GSI Analysis: New Jersey Labor Market: Unemployment Rises, Job Count Drifts Down
January 8, 2026
November’s 5.4% unemployment rate second highest in the nation. October-November 5,300 job loss eliminated about half of September’s increase. One…
GSI Analysis: New Jersey Unemployment Rate was 5.2% in September, but Job Count Rose
December 11, 2025
September unemployment rate was the highest since January 2022. Job increase of 10,900 was the best since February. Total number…
We want affordable, reliable energy. Our next governor should rethink N.J.’s plan
October 29, 2025
After electric bills rose 17 to 20% in New Jersey this summer, energy affordability emerged as the top issue in this year’s statewide election.…
Garden State Initiative Report: Independent Contractor Rules Threaten New Jersey’s Small Businesses and Jobs: Lessons from California’s Failed Approach
October 24, 2025
A new analysis from the Garden State Initiative warns that a proposed rule from the New Jersey Department of Labor…
RELEASE: GSI Warns Proposed Labor Rule Would Harm Independent Workers and Repeat California’s Mistakes
October 24, 2025
Calls for Smarter, Flexible Policies to Protect Economic Opportunity The Garden State Initiative (GSI) today cautioned that a proposed rule…
Garden State Initiative Report: Have Mount Laurel Obligations Made New Jersey Housing More Affordable?
October 8, 2025
A new study examining nearly four decades of New Jersey’s affordable housing policies finds that the state’s Mount Laurel obligations,…
New Jersey’s affordability crisis must be the top priority for our next governor
September 30, 2025
New Jersey has become unaffordable for far too many. Families and seniors are leaving, college graduates aren’t coming back, electric…
GSI Analysis: New Jersey’s GDP and Personal Income
September 26, 2025
Output and income growth trailed nation in Q2 after relatively better performance in Q1. New Jersey’s GDP grew at 2.8%…
Garden State Initiative Report: Balancing Care and Costs: Sustainable Medicaid Reform for New Jersey
September 25, 2025
New Report Outlines Path to Sustainable Medicaid in New Jersey Three reforms could stabilize costs while protecting care for 2…
GSI Virtual Policy Roundtable and Energy Status Report – Beyond Ideology: Energy Policy That Works
September 25, 2025
Garden State Initiative to Host Virtual Roundtable on Energy Policy Morristown, NJ — Garden State Initiative (GSI) will host a…
GSI Analysis: Mixed Results for New Jersey’s August Labor Market
September 18, 2025
Unemployment rate hits 5 percent for the first time in 3 ½ years; employment and the labor force keep moving…
Garden State Initiative Report: GSI Sounded the Alarm on New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan — Sadly, We Were Proven Right
August 26, 2025
New Report Reveals Billions in Costs, Higher Prices, and Reduced Energy Reliability FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Audrey Lane, GSI President…
GSI Analysis: July ’25 Jobs Report – New Jersey’s Labor Market Mixed in July
August 14, 2025
Unemployment rate stuck at 4.9%, with drops in both the labor force and employment. Sharp 13,100 gain in private employment…
NJ’s lack of economic competitiveness is a big issue for our next governor
July 23, 2025
A little more than three weeks ago, the New Jersey Legislature passed, and Gov. Phil Murphy signed the fiscal year…
GSI Analysis: June ’25 Jobs Report – New Jersey’s Labor Market Weakened in June
July 17, 2025
Unemployment rate up to 4.9% with employment and the labor force both falling. Number of jobs down 9,700. Statistical issues…
Gov. Tom Kean Leadership Award Gala
July 15, 2025
Held September 18, 2025 at the Hudson House perched at the water’s edge in Jersey City for a special evening…
GSI Analysis: New Jersey Output Fell at the Start of the Year
June 27, 2025
Real GDP declined at a 1.0% annual rate, under the national rate. Personal income rose at a 6.5% rate, in…
GSI Analysis: May ’25 Jobs Report – New Jersey Labor Market Flat-Lines in May
June 20, 2025
Unemployment rate at 4.8% for second straight month; resident employment and labor force decline. Number of jobs unchanged, after downward…
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