New Jersey’s labor market experienced a net gain of 4,900 jobs in August, bringing the state’s total nonfarm employment to 4,389,200, according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite the job growth, the state’s unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage point to 5.0%.
Sector gains and losses
Job growth in August was concentrated in a few key private sectors, while others saw a decline. The largest gains were in:
- Professional and business services (+7,300)
- Private education and health services (+1,700)
- Leisure and hospitality (+1,100)
Sectors that experienced job losses in August included:
- Financial activities (-1,400)
- Construction (-1,000)
- Manufacturing (-600)
The public sector also recorded a loss of 2,100 jobs for the month.
Year-over-year trends
Looking at the broader picture, New Jersey has added a total of 28,900 nonfarm jobs over the past year. The private sector was the primary driver of this growth, adding 36,500 jobs since August 2024. The strongest year-over-year gains were in private education and health services, which added a remarkable 30,200 jobs.
Conversely, the state has seen significant year-over-year job losses in construction (-10,000), trade, transportation, and utilities (-7,800), and information (-5,000). The public sector has also contracted, losing 7,600 jobs over the same 12-month period.
