New Jersey added a total of 52,400 jobs for the year, according to updated data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Previous data had 2019’s total estimate at 39,000 for the year.
Job gains continued in January, with 14,100 new nonfarm employees, according to BLS estimates.
Over the December 2018-2019 period, seven of the nine major private industry sectors in the state added jobs. Jobs gains were seen in:
- Education and health services, 14,800;
- Professional and business services, 14,200;
- Trade, transportation and utilities, 8,900;
- Leisure and hospitality, 7,200;
- Other services, 2,200;
- Manufacturing, 800;
- Construction, 600.
Sectors that saw job losses over the year included:
- Information, -1,800;
- Financial activities, -400.
In 2019, New Jersey averaged an annual unemployment rate of 3.6%, below 2018’s 4.1% and 2019’s annual nation rate of 3.7%.
January data
In January, New Jersey employers added to their payrolls while the state’s unemployment rate ticked up, the BLS found. Preliminary data on nonfarm wage and salary for January 2020 show an increase in total nonfarm employment of 14,100 jobs. Most of the gains (12,500) were seen in the private sector.
The unemployment rate also ticked up by 0.1 percentage point to 3.8%.
In terms of industry sectors that added jobs in January:
- Professional and business services, 3,700;
- Education and health services, 3,400;
- Trade, transportation and utilities, 2,500;
- Construction, 2,000;
- Leisure and hospitality, 1,000;
- Manufacturing, 600;
- Other services, 200.
Sectors that had job losses:
- Financial activities, -500;
- Information, -400.
