NEARLY 11,400 LAYOFFS ANNOUNCED IN NEW JERSEY SO FAR IN 2025 — AND COUNTING

The year’s not over, but New Jersey’s job market is already taking one of its hardest hits in a decade.

In late September, the concessions operator for Red Bull Arena in Harrison announced 467 layoffs, marking yet another major blow to the state’s workforce.

📉 According to filings with the NJ Department of Labor, more than 11,000 workers have been or will be laid off in 2025 — with many job cuts expected to stretch into 2026.

Over 70 companies have now filed WARN notices, the legally required alerts under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which mandates advance notice for large-scale layoffs.

And the trend is accelerating — 2,422 new layoffs have been added since September alone.

🔟 The 10 Biggest Layoffs in New Jersey (2025)

1️⃣ Bristol Myers Squibb — 1,156 Jobs Lost

💊 The pharmaceutical giant has filed multiple WARN notices — 282 in September, 290 in February, 516 in May, and 68 in June — with all cuts set to wrap by March.

🧬 The pharma sector has accounted for over 2,200 job losses statewide this year.

2️⃣ Rite Aid — 1,122 Jobs Lost

💥 The bankrupt pharmacy chain has shut down all of its New Jersey stores.

3️⃣ Walmart — 668 Jobs Lost

🏢 The retailer is cutting hundreds of corporate roles as part of a nationwide restructuring, according to Talk Business.

4️⃣ Novartis — 485 Jobs Lost

⚗️ The East Hanover–based company cited changes in “the external environment” as it slashes nearly 500 positions.

5️⃣ Harrison Sportservice Inc. — 467 Jobs Lost

⚽ The concessions operator for Red Bull Arena — recently renamed Sports Illustrated Arena — filed a mass layoff notice in September.

6️⃣ GEODIS Logistics — 426 Jobs Lost

🚚 The transport and logistics company cut positions earlier this year at its Monroe Township site.

7️⃣ J.P. Morgan Chase Bank — 417 Jobs Lost

💼 Despite record profits in 2024, the banking giant has made four rounds of cuts in Jersey City, with CEO Jamie Dimon pointing to AI-related shifts as a key factor.

8️⃣ GMRI Inc. / Bahama Breeze — 327 Jobs Lost

🍹 The restaurant chain shuttered multiple locations in May, including four right here in New Jersey.

9️⃣ KRP Transport — 298 Jobs Lost

📦 The Burlington County freight company, known for “last-mile” delivery, cut nearly 300 jobs earlier this year.

🔟 JoAnn Stores — 262 Jobs Lost

🧵 The sewing and craft retailer officially closed its NJ operations in June.

💬 What’s Next for NJ Workers?

More than 11,000 New Jerseyans have already lost their jobs in 2025 — and WARN filings suggest the wave isn’t slowing down.

Is this a sign that NJ’s economy is cooling off, or just shifting gears in the age of automation and AI?

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