Essex County, NJ jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meEssex County economy
5.1%
unemployment, Sep 2026
7.1% the month before
427,804
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
854,130
people in Essex County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$76,712
median household income
Source: Census ACS
42%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Essex County ranks
Where Essex County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #3Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Northeast−2.0 points · of 97
- #3Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Mid-Atlantic−2.0 points · of 97
- #4Counties where unemployment fell the most−2.0 points · of 100
- #8Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Northeast63 / 100 · of 51
- #16Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Mid-Atlantic61 / 100 · of 64
- #17Fastest-growing job markets in the Northeast+5.7% · of 100
Essex County outlook: Building
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 5.7% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 4.2% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 5.1%, down 2.0 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+7,610 jobs), hotels & food (+2,451 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: management of companies (−1,018 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Essex County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- $70 million sale is costing more than 100 N.J. workers their jobs at E-ZPass service centerYahoo Finance · Nov 6, 2026
- Conduent to lay off 113 Newark employees in tolling business saleNJBIZ · Oct 30, 2026
- M&M maker to lay off dozens of employees in early 2027Staten Island Advance · Oct 21, 2026
- Candy giant to lay off 55 more N.J. employeesNJ.com · Oct 21, 2026
- Newark HelloFresh workers sue over alleged physical abuse, ICE threats and mass layoffsWestchester - News 12 · Oct 21, 2026
- Prudential Insurance plans 125 more job cuts, bringing N.J.’s layoff tally to 267 for yearNJ.com · Sep 30, 2026
Learn and get funded in Essex County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Essex County layoffs
13
Layoff notices, last 12 months
1,508
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
10
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conduent State & Local Solutions, IncTakes effect Jan 21, 2027 | Newark | 113 | — | State record | |
| Mars Information ServicesTakes effect Jan 31, 2027 | Newark | 55 | — | State record | |
| PrudentialTakes effect Nov 28, 2026 | Newark | 125 | — | State record | |
| CulinaireTakes effect Dec 31, 2026 | Newark | 75 | — | State record | |
| Mars WrigleyConfectionary US, LLCTakes effect Oct 16, 2026 | Newark | 307 | — | State record | |
| PrudentialTakes effect Sep 18, 2026 | Newark | 89 | — | State record | |
| Automatic Data Processing, Inc.Takes effect Sep 25, 2026 | Roseland | 76 | — | State record | |
| Spirit AirlinesTakes effect May 2, 2026 | Newark | 201 | — | State record | |
| PrudentialTakes effect Jul 17, 2026 | Newark | 53 | — | State record | |
| Reckitt BenckiserTakes effect Mar 2, 2026 | Nutley | 57 | — | State record | |
| Luna Foods dba Joey's Fine FoodsTakes effect Jun 19, 2026 | Newark | 61 | — | State record | |
| PrudentialTakes effect May 7, 2026 | Newark | 54 | — | State record | |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJTakes effect Apr 26, 2026 | Newark | 242 | — | State record |
Employers hiring most in Essex County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- Selective Insurance27 open roles
- Amazon26 open roles
- CoreWeave22 open roles
- PGIM Global High Yield Fund20 open roles
- Parsons12 open roles
- Dewberry11 open roles
- Montclair State University10 open roles
- Platinum Global Talent Solutions10 open roles
- 4 Staffing9 open roles
- New Jersey Institute of Technology9 open roles
Largest employers headquartered in Essex County
- Automatic Data Processing, Inc.20,001–100,000 employees
- Prudential Financial20,001–100,000 employees
- Rutgers University-Newark1,001–5,000 employees
Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.
Colleges in Essex County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark | Public 4-year | 10,000–19,999 |
| Rutgers University-Newark | Newark | Public 4-year | 10,000–19,999 |
| Seton Hall University | South Orange | Private non-profit 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| Caldwell University | Caldwell | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Bloomfield College of Montclair State University | Bloomfield | Public 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Pillar College | Newark | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Conferences in Essex County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in Essex County. 1 with dates announced.
- AAA Joint Midyear Meeting of the AIS and SET Sections
Feb 4 to Feb 6, 2027 · Newark, NJ
Paid ticket, price not listed
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Essex County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in New Jersey? How to file for unemployment in New Jersey (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
Essex County One Stop Center
East Orange · Comprehensive · 973-395-3220
8:30-4:30 Monday - Friday
Newark One-Stop Career Center
Newark · Comprehensive · 973-648-3370
Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Cities in Essex County
Other New Jersey counties
Laid off or looking for work in Essex County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from New Jersey’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. New Jersey unemployment benefits and severance rules.
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