New Jersey employers added 4,800 jobs in April, but the unemployment rate inched up to 4.8%, the highest it’s been in over three years, according to preliminary federal data released Thursday by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Total nonfarm employment increased by 4,800 jobs, about 75% of which were in the private sector, to reach a seasonally adjusted level of 4,398,300 jobs. Private sector employers have added 27,400 jobs during the 12-month span that ended in April, and the unemployment rate has risen by 0.3 percentage points during that same period.
Additionally, the previous preliminary New Jersey monthly employment estimates for March were revised downward by 3,000 jobs in the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state’s unemployment rate for March remained unchanged at 4.7%.
In April, five out of nine private industries recorded employment gains compared to March. Those sectors were education and health services (+7,100), financial activities (+1,600), manufacturing (+900), information (+300), and other services (+200).
Sectors that recorded job losses between March and April include leisure and hospitality (-2,800), professional and business services (-1,900), trade, transportation, and utilities (-1,100), and construction (-800). The public sector added 1,200 jobs for April.
Over the past 12 months, New Jersey has added 36,000 total nonfarm jobs, with 76% of those gains in the private sector. Four out of nine private sector industries recorded a gain between April 2024 and April 2025. These include private education and health services (+41,300), other services (+2,500), financial activities (+1,700), and manufacturing (+700).
Losses were recorded year-over-year in leisure and hospitality (-4,800), information (-4,400), professional and business services (-3,900), construction (-3,300), and trade, transportation, and utilities (-2,400).
The public sector has recorded a gain of 8,600 jobs over the past 12 months.
The U.S. national unemployment rate for April was 4.2%, which is 0.6 percentage points lower than New Jersey’s jobless rate for the same month.
