NJ jobs: Amazon joins, A&P drops top NJ employers this decade
Susanne CervenkaGoodbye A&P. Hello Amazon.
New Jersey's top employers has shifted since 2011, with the online retail giant taking greater prominence as the Montvale-based grocery chain faded into the sunset.
But that isn't the only shift in the New Jersey employment market, according to a USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey analysis of state financial documents.
Check out the graphic below to see how the state's list of top 10 employers has changed over the past decade.
This is a short look at the rising companies, those that fell off and the ones that have held steady.
The USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey sifts through spreadsheets and databases to give you a clear look at the issues you care about in your community. Check back to APP.com to see how your town ranks against the rest. Or better yet, consider subscribing.
More:NJ jobs: Unemployment rate drops to record low 3.5%, leaving employers in a pinch
More:Small business jobs: Owners are worried about hiring
Rising
A Prime employer. Amazon, which dominates the U.S. online retailer market, nudged its way into the top 10 list of New Jersey employers in 2017. That year, the retail giant employed about 13,000 people in the Garden State. Check out the video at the top of the page to see the long lines of job seekers looking for potential employment with Amazon.
An electrifying rise. Public Service Electric and Gas made its way into the list of top employers in 2014 with nearly 9,000 employees in New Jersey. It has maintained its position in the list by growing its employee base to more than 10,700 in 2017.
More:Want an NJ EDA tax break? Consider leaving, even if you don't want to
Falling
So long A&P. The grocery chain was among New Jersey's top 10 employers until 2014, when it fell off in the rankings. The stores closed for good in 2015, but had more than 12,000 employers statewide in the years preceding its collapse.
Cashing in the chips. Caesars Entertainment Corp., which previously operated as Harrah's Entertainment, had long been one of the state's top employers. It, too, dropped from rankings in 2014. It had more than 11,800 employees in 2013, the last year it was in the list of top employers.
More:NJ jobs: Unemployment rate drops to record low 3.5%, leaving employers in a pinch
Holding steady
Grocery leader. Wakefern Food Corp., commonly known by many New Jerseyans seeking their weekly nourishment as ShopRite, has held steady as the state's second largest employer. Data from the state's financial documents show Wakefern employs just under 40,000 employees, up from the roughly 36,000 employees it had in 2011.
State government. Even a nearly 10 percent drop in employment couldn't knock New Jersey state government out of its perch as the top employer. New Jersey employed almost 70,000 people in 2011. That was down to just over 64,500 in 2017.
Want to know what salaries state workers are making? Visit DataUniverse.com and make sure you don't miss anything by buying a digital subscription to APP.com today.
More:APP Biz Blast! It's not the heat, it's the 70 mph winds edition
Employment data used in this ranking comes from the New Jersey Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The New Jersey state government data excludes employees of state authorities, colleges and universities.
Data within the state CAFR on private sector employers comes from the New Jersey Business' Top 100 Employee data, which is based off questionnaire responses from private sector employers, excluding government, higher education and non-profit hospitals.
Susanne Cervenka covers Monmouth County government and property tax issues, winning several state and regional awards for her work. She's covered local government for 15 years, with stops in Ohio and Florida before arriving in New Jersey in 2013. Contact her at @scervenka; 732-643-4229; scervenka@gannettnj.com.