Gov. Jon S. Corzine says the fund has been overwhelmed because lawmakers previously diverted more than $4 billion to cover the cost of state aid to hospitals.
Corzine says the state will either need to put money into the system or get help from the federal government.
Businesses would face an automatic $400 million tax increase in June if the fund continues to decline.
The fund had a balance of $750 million at the end of November.
The fund paid out $169 million last month compared to $138 million in November 2007.
---
Information from: The Star-Ledger, http://www.nj.com/starledger
