New Jersey continues to face teacher shortages in critical subjects, while overall workforce levels remain steady, according to a new report released by the Heldrich Center. The report, New Jersey’s Teacher Workforce: 2025 Legislative Report, offers a decade-long perspective on teacher supply, exits, and workforce challenges, drawing on data from the New Jersey Statewide Data System.
Using data from 2013–14 to 2023–24, the report examines the state of the teacher workforce in New Jersey, including teacher exits and projections, as well as teacher supply and demand. The report also examines supplemental employment held by teachers outside of the education sector.
Key findings include:
- Teacher workforce stability. The teacher workforce has remained stable at about 117,500 teachers (FTEs) statewide, with year-over-year changes of only ±1%.
- Subject area shifts. Math and science teachers decreased by 9%, while resource program teachers increased by nearly 20%.
- Workforce composition. The teaching workforce remains between 76% and 77% female and 82% and 84% white.
- Rising exits. Teacher exits have increased, particularly after the pandemic, led by retirements and resignations.
- Certification trends. The ratio of newly certified teachers to those permanently exiting has declined over time.
- Critical shortages. Multilingual learning and computer science show high or rising student-to-teacher ratios.
- Supplemental employment. About 16% to 18% of teachers take on outside work, often short-term and low-paying. These teachers earn around 6% less in teaching salaries than their peers, though outside earnings typically offset the gap.