New Jersey’s sluggish job growth in 2025 continued a downward trend over several years. The state added nearly 64,200 jobs in 2023, but only 39,800 in 2024, according to data compiled by the New Jersey Department of Labor.
“Things are definitely cooling,” Will Irving, a professor at the New Jersey State Policy Lab at Rutgers University, told NorthJersey.com in January.
“There is no magical, painless way of making the state more affordable,” he said. “It took us decades and decades to get us into the position we’re in, and it’s going to take a long time to change things.”
“The Byways Report” highlights an array of technical resources that can help states, regions and towns leverage route-based tourism as part of their efforts to build rural prosperity. David Listokin’s Route 66 studies are referenced in the report.
“I think the governor is doing the right thing by having a deputy executive director who should be at the table,” Hughes said of Sherrill.
“The Northeast region’s economy is really dependent on the Northeast corridor, particularly linking Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston,” Hughes said. “Once you stop a project it’s very difficult to start again.”
“I would not be surprised to see other states start to experience rapid increases as employment growth nationally continues to slow and/or decline,” Irving said in an email.
“Things are definitely cooling,” said Will Irving, a professor at the New Jersey State Policy Lab at Rutgers University.
“A lot of tariff uncertainty likely contributed to slow hiring in 2025 even as the lower-than-originally-announced tariff levels took less of a bite out of economic growth than many expected,” he said.
“Things are definitely cooling,” said Will Irving, a professor at the New Jersey State Policy Lab at Rutgers University.
“A lot of tariff uncertainty likely contributed to slow hiring in 2025 even as the lower-than-originally-announced tariff levels took less of a bite out of economic growth than many expected,” he said.
“New Jersey has a tough road ahead of it,” Hughes said. “It took a long time for us to move into that negative business position, so I think the road out is going to be long as well.”
Irving said he’ll be tracking jobs numbers closely in coming months. New Jersey’s unemployment rate is 5.2% — that’s higher than the national rate — and Irving noted the state has in recent years been a bellwether for what is coming to the rest of America.