Union County, NJ jobs, unemployment and layoffs
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Show me jobs near meUnion County economy
4.4%
unemployment, Sep 2026
6.1% the month before
306,181
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
572,549
people in Union County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$100,117
median household income
Source: Census ACS
41%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Union County ranks
Where Union County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #10Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Northeast−1.7 points · of 97
- #10Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Mid-Atlantic−1.7 points · of 97
- #13Counties where unemployment fell the most−1.7 points · of 100
Union 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 1.8% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 4.9% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.4%, down 1.7 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+3,499 jobs), manufacturing (+3,415 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: professional & technical (−2,627 jobs), retail (−1,321 jobs)
Learn and get funded in Union 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.
Union County layoffs
6
Layoff notices, last 12 months
1,047
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
4
employers
| Notice date | Employer | City or county | Workers | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiserv Solutions LLCTakes effect Sep 11, 2026 | Berkeley Heights | 98 | — | State record | |
| Merck & Co | Rahway | 54 | — | State record | |
| Merck & CoTakes effect Sep 4, 2026 | Rahway | 88 | — | State record | |
| FreshRealm, Inc.Takes effect Jul 27, 2026 | Linden | 628 | — | State record | |
| Fiserv Solutions LLCTakes effect Mar 31, 2026 | Berkeley Heights | 118 | — | State record | |
| International Real Estate Partners US CorpTakes effect Mar 31, 2026 | New Providence | 61 | — | State record |
Employers hiring most in Union 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.
- Hikma11 open roles
- L'Oréal9 open roles
- ImmunityBio7 open roles
- Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD)7 open roles
- Merck5 open roles
- Aon4 open roles
- Westfield4 open roles
- Atlantic Health System3 open roles
- Clark Davis Associates3 open roles
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise3 open roles
Colleges in Union County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kean University | Union | Public 4-year | 10,000–19,999 |
| Yeshiva Gedolah Zichron Leyma | Union | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok | Elizabeth | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Union 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).
Union County One Stop Career Center - Elizabeth
Elizabeth · Comprehensive
Temporarily Closed
Union County One Stop Career - Plainfield
Plainfield · Comprehensive · 908-412-7970
8:30-4:30 Monday - Friday
Cities in Union County
Other New Jersey counties
Laid off or looking for work in Union 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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