New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on Monday signed legislation to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour.

The increase will not take place immediately; instead the law will incrementally raise the minimum hourly wage for most workers, according to NorthJersey.com. The rate, currently at $8.85 an hour, will increase to $10 in July and go up $1 each subsequent year until it hits $15 in 2024.

ADVERTISEMENT

Murphy said at a ceremony before signing the bill that the legislation was overdue.

“We’ve talked long enough on putting New Jersey on a responsible path to $15 an hour minimum wage," he said. "Today we start our way on this path. Today we make our economy both fairer and stronger."

Democrats in New Jersey were previously unsuccessful in their efforts to raise the minimum wage.

Former Gov. Chris Christie (R) in 2016 vetoed a bill that would have raised the minimum to $15 an hour, calling it a "radical increase."