Almost three quarters of Americans rank finances as their biggest source of stress. If you're among them, there's a new free tool to help you take control of your financial wellness: NJ FinLit. 

NJ FinLit is sponsored by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury and features user-friendly interactive tools, videos, and articles you can use to better understand and manage your financial resources.

Earth Day is Friday, April 22nd, 2022, but New Jersey will be celebrating our planet all week long. The State park service and the Department of Environmental Protection are sponsoring a series of events across the State, culminating in an Earth Day celebration at Liberty State Park in Jersey City on Saturday, April 23rd, 2022. All events are free and open to the public, but some events have attendance limits and require registration.

Apply today to work in a New Jersey State park, forest, or historic site this summer! 

Salaries start at $15 per hour for most positions. Lifeguards at lake beaches start at $17.50 per hour, while lifeguards at Island Beach State Park start at $18.50 per hour. Positions include maintenance personnel, lifeguards, naturalists and history educators, visitor service assistants, office assistants, and trail stewards. Most jobs are outdoors and run from Memorial Day through Labor Day, but some parks need part-time staff year-round.

New Jersey's utility shutoff moratorium ended on March 15th, but some residential customers with overdue utility bills can receive an extension to June 15th.

A new law requires local authorities, municipal or public utilities, and rural electric cooperatives to continue providing electric, gas, sewer, or water service to residential customers who have submitted an application for utility assistance prior to June 15th, 2022 but have not yet received a decision on their application.

To receive the extension, you need to apply for assistance. One easy way to apply is by visiting the DCAid Service Portal hosted by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

The CDC recommends booster shots for certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 who received a previous booster dose at least 4 months ago.

• Individuals aged 50 and older who received a previous booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna at least four months ago are eligible for an additional booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna.
• Individuals aged 12 and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised who received a previous booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna at least four months ago are eligible for a second booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna.
• Individuals aged 18 and older who received a primary dose and a previous booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least four months ago are eligible for an additional booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna.

Schedule your booster today at covid19.nj.gov/finder or call 855-568-0545.

Starting May 4th, 2022, New Jersey retail stores, grocery stores, and food service businesses may not provide or sell single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food service products. Single-use paper carryout bags are allowed to be provided or sold, except by grocery stores equal to or larger than 2,500 square feet, which may only provide or sell reusable carryout bags.

To learn more about the new law, visit Get Past Plastic.

It's especially important to get tested if you are feeling sick or have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

To get tested:

• Find testing sites near you, including their hours and testing requirements.
• Order a free at-home saliva test, shipped to your home at no cost.
• Order free rapid antigen tests, shipped to your home at no cost.

The Business.NJ.gov Updates share timely information on regulations, financing, and services likely to affect your business. Whether you own a small business, work at one, or like to stay in-the-know, you won't want to miss this weekly email.