This directory contains analysis of New Jersey's key industry sectors. Industry sectors are the engines that drive job expansion and attract new businesses in New Jersey. Analysis of New Jersey's industry sectors is provided below in a more accessible and usable format to help keep New Jersey's industry sectors in focus. New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development's team of labor market analysts will produce written analytical articles, reports and presentations using the latest economic and demographic data available from the NJLWD.
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A Staff of Local Labor Market Analysts to Serve You
Industry Sector Summary Statistics (Excel)
New Jersey Key Industry Sector Fact Sheet
Industry Sector Definitions by NAICS Codes (Excel)
Health Care

Summary Report
Detailed Industry Analysis
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Health Care Study: Winter 2020-2021 The overall health, both of New Jersey's economy and its people, is clearly tied to the capabilities of the evolving health care industry.
- The health care sector contributed over $44 billion to the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019, roughly 8.5 percent of all output (latest available from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis).
- From 1990 through 2019, the health care Sector has added
231,700 new jobs,while all other private Sector employment has had a net increase of 270,100 jobs.
- Health care is the only industry that has added jobs
in the state every year from 1990 through 2019 while increasing its share of jobholding from 7.5 percent in 1990 to 12 percent in 2019.
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Life Sciences

Summary Report
Detailed Industry Analysis
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Bio Pharma Life Science Study: Winter 2020-2021 The vitality of the biopharmaceutical and life-sciences cluster in New Jersey is fundamental to the state's economic health with its well-paying jobs.
- New Jersey's bio/pharma life sciences employment totaled 76,430 in 2019, or
- 2.2 percent of the state's private-sector workforce.
Nationally, the proportion was just 1.2 percent.
- Establishments totaled nearly 1,600 in 2019.
Despite recent reorganizations by pharmaceutical firms, the drug and pharmaceutical component’s establishment count increased between 2014 and 2019 by 15.1 percent.
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Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Summary Report
Detailed Industry Analysis
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TLD Study: Winter 2020-2021
The real estate ideal of "location, location, location" aptly describes New Jersey's transportation, logistics and distribution industry.
- In 2019, transportation, logistics and distribution
(TLD) employed 414,610 workers in New Jersey. The cluster employed 11.8 percent of the state’s private sector workers, a higher percentage than for the nation (9.0%).
- TLD contributed more than $66.9 billion to the state’s
Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP - chained 2009 dollars) in 2019.
- In 2019, the Port of New York and New Jersey handled
4,238,100 cargo containers, valued at nearly $206 billion. (Source: PONYNJ Terminal Operator Data)
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Retail

Summary Report
Detailed Industry Analysis
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Retail Trade Study: Winter 2020-2021
Along with other service sectors such as the hospitality industry, retail is a critical point of entry, or “gateway,” into the labor force and provides workers with foundational skills in customer service, punctuality and responsibility.
- Retail trade jobholding totaled 447,280 in 2019,
or 12.7 percent of the state’s private sector workers, a higher percentage than for the nation (12.4%).
- Retail represented nearly $35.5 billion or 7.1 percent
of the state’s real Gross Domestic Product in 2019 while the U.S. had a slightly lower (6.7%) GDP representation.
New Jersey retailers paid over $16.2 billion in total wages during 2019, or 6.9 percent of the state total. In addition, retail businesses accounted for 10.9 percent of all units in the statewide total private sector in 2019 (10.5% for US). |
Leisure & Hospitality

Summary Report
Detailed Industry Analysis
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Leisure & Hospitality (L&H) Study: Winter 2020-2021
New Jersey has a well-earned reputation as a place for great entertainment, vacations and restaurants which is why the Leisure & Hospitality industry continues to thrive throughout the state.
- Leisure & hospitality jobholding totaled 391,520in 2019,
or 11.2 percent of the state’s private sector workers, a lower percentage than for the nation (13.0%).
- L&H represented over $17.7 billion or 3.1 percent
of the state’s real Gross Domestic Product in 2019 while the U.S. had a 3.8 percent representation in its GDP.
New Jersey L&H employers paid over $10.3 billion in total wages during 2019, or 4.4 percent of the state total. In addition, the same businesses accounted for 9.0 percent of all units in the statewide total private sector in 2019 (8.9% for US).
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Financial Services

Summary Report
Detailed Industry Analysis
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Financial Services Study: Winter 2020-2021 New Jersey's close proximity to New York City, highly competitive corporate real estate rates and an unmatched talent pool make New Jersey a prime location for financial services firms.
- Despite a relatively small employment base
(6.3% of New Jersey’s total private sector employment in 2019) finance and insurance contributed more than $33 billion or nearly 7.0 percent to the state’s Real Gross Domestic Product in 2019.
- The finance sector relies heavily on information and technology.
New Jersey has remained in the forefront of technological advancement by becoming a national leader in developing data centers to support the industry. Of approximately 60 data centers located in the state, more than a third are located in Hudson County. (Source: datacentermap.com)
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Manufacturing

Summary Report
Detailed Industry Analysis
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Manufacturing Study: Winter 2020-2021 The manufacturing sector in New Jersey hosts a wide range of processes and products from food and printing to petroleum and pharmaceuticals.
- In 2019, there were nearly 250,000 people employed in industries
classified as manufacturing in New Jersey, roughly 7 percent of all New Jersey employment.
- The manufacturing sector contributed over $50 billion
to New Jersey’s Real Gross Domestic Product in 2019, or about 9.1 percent of all state output (latest available from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis).
- Manufacturing employers paid more than $20 billion
in total wages in 2019, with many industries paying more than the statewide average annual wage of $67,000.
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Technology

Summary Report
Detailed Industry Analysis
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Technology Study: Winter 2020-2021 Industries in the technology cluster have a high proportion of scientists, engineers and technicians. They are primarily located in the utilities, manufacturing, information and professional, scientific and technical services industries.
- In 2019 New Jersey’s technology sector accounted for
183,350 jobs or 4.1 percent of private sector employment statewide. Nationally, the sector was responsible for 5.9 percent of all private sector employment.
- The annual average wage for the technology Sector was $133,940 in 2019,
nearly double the statewide average ($67,040) for all industries. Employers in the industry paid more than $24.5 billion in wages, or about 10.4 percent of the total wages paid in all industries.
- Technology sector employment can primarily
be found within the following sectors: professional, scientific and technical services (78%), and information (22%).
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Construction-Utilities

Summary Report
Detailed Industry Analysis
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Construction & Utilities Study: Winter 2020-2021
The construction and utilities sector provides many employment opportunities for blue collar workers to earn above average salaries.
- The construction and utilities sector has seen a steady increase
in its annual average employment of 2.2 percent per year for the last five years. This is an additional 23,580 jobs since 2013, for a total of 174,070 in 2019.
- There were 22,930 construction and utilities establishments
registered in New Jersey by the end of 2019. This accounts for 8.4 percent of all the establishments in the State.
The annual average salary for all construction workers is $74,640, while workers in the utility industry earned an average of $122,180. Employers in this industry paid over $13.7 billion in wages during 2019.
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