New Jersey has cut its state workforce by more than 25 percent since 2006, eliminating nearly 20,000 positions even as the state’s population has grown.[1] This can have concrete consequences for New Jersey residents, including longer wait times at government offices, delayed benefits, fewer inspectors for nursing homes and polluting factories, and less oversight of how schools and local governments spend public dollars.
While state government employment nationwide has increased by more than 4 percent since January 2020, New Jersey has cut 3 percent of its workforce over the same period.[2]
State policymakers have slashed positions across nearly every department, including child welfare, transportation, agriculture, and law enforcement. These departments all employ far fewer people than earlier in the century. Despite an influx of federal pandemic-related aid, New Jersey’s public sector workforce has still not rebounded, continuing a trend that New Jersey Policy Perspective previously documented in 2020.[3]
This decline runs counter to the national trend of steady growth and recovery from recession-related cuts.[4]
The cuts extend beyond state workers. Local government employment, including public school teachers and municipal service workers, has also fallen sharply. The state now employs 15 percent fewer public servants per resident than historical levels across all levels of government, gutting the capacity of government to respond effectively to residents’ needs.
What Workforce Cuts Mean for New Jersey Residents
Fewer public servants means worse service and higher costs. When staffing falls, backlogs grow, productivity drops, and waste increases. Residents face larger class sizes, longer waits for trash pickup, delays in business license approvals, and backlogs at motor vehicle offices.
Research confirms these problems:
- Tax enforcement: Cutting tax enforcement staff costs the state money. For every dollar invested in tax enforcement personnel, states typically collect multiple dollars in previously uncollected taxes.[5] (NJPP has highlighted increasing the tax enforcement workforce as a key revenue opportunity for New Jersey.[6])
- Transportation infrastructure: Staff cuts at state transportation departments have led to lost expertise and poor cost analysis, driving up the price of roads, bridges, and transit projects.[7]
- Social services: In New Jersey, workforce cuts at county social service agencies mean caseworkers juggle more clients, and families wait longer for help.[8]
A government that works effectively is a government that has enough human capacity to meet its residents’ needs. Lawmakers from both parties have complained about long wait times for unemployment and tax assistance.[9] But complaints alone will not fix the problem. Addressing wait times and backlogs requires hiring enough workers to meet demand.
How to Rebuild New Jersey’s Public Workforce
Rebuilding the state workforce requires competitive pay and benefits. Public-sector workers generally earn less than private-sector employees with similar education and experience.[10] New Jersey currently has more than 2,000 funded positions sitting empty because the state cannot attract qualified candidates.[11]
State policymakers should:
- Prioritize hiring to fill these positions
- Identify incentives to attract skilled candidates
- Ensure that the state has enough revenue to fund a more robust state workforce
The myth of “Big Government” in New Jersey ignores the reality: the state has cut its public workforce to dangerous levels. More residents and fewer public servants equal longer wait times, less oversight, and wasted taxpayer dollars.
New Jersey residents deserve better. Policymakers must invest in rebuilding the state workforce to adequate levels. Only then can state government effectively serve the people of New Jersey.
End Notes
[1] New Jersey Civil Service Commission, State Government 2024 Workforce Profile, 2025, p. 3; New Jersey Department of Personnel, State Government 2006 Workforce Profile, 2007, p. 3. U.S. Census Bureau, Resident Population in New Jersey [NJPOP], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/NJPOP, October 28, 2025.
[2] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, All Employees, State Government [CES9092000001], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Oct. 28, 2025. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, All Employees: Government: State Government in New Jersey [SMS34000009092000001], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Oct. 28, 2025. Graph available here.
[3] Reynertson, S., New Jersey Policy Perspective. Years of Disinvestment Hamper New Jersey’s Pandemic Response. Apr. 20, 2020.
[4] U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, All Employees, State Government [CES9092000001], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Sept. 26, 2025.
[5] Yale Budget Lab. The Revenue and Distributional Effects of IRS Funding. Apr. 24, 2025.
[6] Chen, P., New Jersey Policy Perspective. Fair and Square: Changing New Jersey’s Tax Code to Promote Equity and Fiscal Responsibility. Nov. 14, 2024.
[7] Liscow, Z. et al. State Capacity and Infrastructure Costs. Yale Law & Econ. Research Paper. Aug. 23, 2025.
[8] Holom-Trundy, B., New Jersey Policy Perspective. Understaffed and Underfunded: Barriers to Effective Anti-Poverty Assistance. Nov. 25, 2024.
[9] Price Mueller, K., NJ.com. Is anyone out there? We made 100 calls to state helplines to see who answered the phone. Jul. 21, 2025.
[10] Morrissey, M. & Sherer, J., Economic Policy Institute. The public-sector pay gap is widening. Unions help shrink it. Aug. 29, 2024.
[11] State of New Jersey. Governor’s FY 2026 Budget, Detailed Budget. March 2025. Pp. H-13 to H-14. State of New Jersey. Governor’s FY 2025 Budget, Detailed Budget. March 2024. Pp. H-13 to H-14.
