Best Employers In NJ: See Which Companies Topped Forbes Ranking

NEW JERSEY — Dozens of companies, universities, and healthcare systems founded in New Jersey are among America’s Best Employers By State ranked by Forbes — as are a number of businesses with headquarters in other states, but a sizable workforce here

“These aren’t the best large or midsize employers nationally, but a deeper look at which companies are closer-to-home options for every American worker,” Forbes said with the release of its fifth annual ranking Tuesday.

In total, the Garden State had 89 companies on the list.

The top five New Jersey-based companies on the list are:

• Branchville-based Selective Insurance, founded in 1926 and now employing 2,520 people; CEO John J. Marchioni.
• Newark-based NJ Transit, a transportation and logistics company founded in 1979 and now employing 11,000 people; CEO Kevin S. Corbett.
• New Brunswick-based Johnson & Johnson, a pharmacy and biotechnology company founded in 1886 and now employing 155,800 people; CEO Joaquin Duato.
• Princeton-based Princeton University, founded in 1746 and currently employing 7,300 people; President Christopher J. Eisgruber.
• New Brunswick-based Rutgers University, founded in 1766 and currently employing 22,100 people; President Jonathan Holloway.

Businesses not headquartered in the Garden State, but ranked highly with New Jersey workers, include: Apple, Wegmans, Microsoft, International Flavors & Fragrances, and IBM.

A full list of the 1,392 organizations that made the list is found on Forbes. To be considered, they had to have at least 500 employees nationwide. Forbes and its data partner Statista surveyed workers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The survey questions reflect a recent Pew Research Center survey that showed only about half of workers nationwide are extremely or very satisfied with their jobs. Work satisfaction and compensation are closely tied, and workers with higher incomes tended to like their jobs more than lower-income workers, the survey found.

“We found an interesting disconnect in terms of how workers are experiencing their jobs,” Kim Parker, Pew’s director of social trends research, told Forbes. “Most say they are highly satisfied with the human side of work — their relationships with their coworkers and supervisor. They are much less satisfied with their compensation and the opportunities they’re given for promotion or advancement.”

The anonymous survey asked workers if they would recommend their employer to friends and family, and to evaluate their employer on working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, the potential for development and company image. They were also asked about other employers in their states and were given the opportunity to rate employers anywhere within their respective industries.

Of the 1,392 organizations on the list, 1,123 of them were ranked in only one state. The others were ranked in more than one state.

This article contains reporting from Patch’s national desk.