New Jersey’s job market continues to be stuck in neutral. Preliminary labor market estimates for May, produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed New Jersey’s unemployment rate was 4.8%, unchanged from April. There was little job growth in New Jersey for the month.
The U.S. jobless rate for May was unchanged at 4.2% for a second straight month. The rate has remained within a narrow 4.0% to 4.2% range since May 2024 and has been consistently at least 0.5% below New Jersey’s unemployment rate.
New Jersey’s total nonfarm employment for May is estimated at a seasonally adjusted level of 4,394,500 jobs.
April employment estimates were adjusted downward by 3,800 jobs, resulting in a March-to-April gain of 1,000 jobs. Preliminary April estimates initially indicated a gain of 4,800 jobs.
In May, five out of nine private industries recorded employment gains compared with April. Those sectors were leisure and hospitality (+4,200), professional and business services (+900), manufacturing (+400), trade, transportation, and utilities (+300), and financial activities (+100). Areas that recorded job losses include education and health services (-1,700), construction (-1,100), information (-900), and other services (-900). The public sector shed 1,300 jobs in May.
Over the past 12 months, New Jersey has added 25,300 nonfarm jobs, with 82% of those gains in the private sector. Five out of nine private sector industries recorded a gain between May 2024 and May 2025. These include private education and health services (+35,000), other services (+1,500), financial activities (+1,400), and manufacturing (+500).
Losses were recorded year-over-year in information (-5,000), construction (-4,600), trade, transportation, and utilities (-4,100), professional and business services (-3,200), and leisure and hospitality (-800). The public sector has recorded a gain of 4,600 jobs over the past 12 months.
Preliminary BLS estimates data for June 2025 will be released on July 17, 2025.
