By Joshua Burd
Warehouses and distribution centers in New Jersey are home to more than 760,000 on-site employees and support more than 1.35 million jobs overall, according to a newly released report, highlighting the vital role that the facilities play in the state’s economy.
The study, conducted by Rutgers University’s Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation or CAIT, also found that the buildings support nearly $113 billion in personal income and nearly $296 billion in business activity. That translates to nearly $11.3 billion in local and state tax revenues and almost $22.6 billion in federal taxes, as researchers gleaned when accounting for some 956 million square feet of occupied space at the end of 2024.
NAIOP New Jersey announced the findings on Wednesday after commissioning the report (available here) in partnership with the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey, part of an ongoing push to call attention to the outsized benefits of the logistics sector and the facilities that support it.
“The logistics industry is an impressive economic engine for New Jersey,” NAIOP New Jersey CEO Dan Kennedy said. “Often lost in the conversation are the economic contributions made by the existing warehouse and distribution centers that create an eye-opening number of jobs and contribute an irreplaceable amount of federal, state and local taxes that support critical services for all New Jersey residents.
“With all the state and local discussions going on about warehouse development and supporting infrastructure, we feel the public deserves to know the truth — warehouses and distribution centers make a substantial economic contribution to New Jersey’s economy that no industry can match.”
The report — which did not include Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Ocean counties due to a lack of consistent data — focused on warehouses and distribution centers of at least 20,000 square feet while excluding production facilities and data centers. A team led by Rutgers’ Anne Strauss-Wieder conducted the research using published reports, fieldwork, engineering information and the extensive knowledge of an advisory committee to develop a consensus estimation of the number of workers in the facilities, allowing it to quantify the ongoing economic value generated by the operations.
Researchers did so using the same models developed for the recently released 2025 Economic Impact Assessment of the New York-New Jersey Port Industry.
“While we have always known how impactful it is to New Jersey, this report shows just how much critical links in the logistics industry like warehouses and distribution centers contribute to the state’s economy,” said John J. Nardi, president of the Shipping Association of NY and NJ.
Strauss-Wieder, senior freight and logistics researcher at Rutgers CAIT and a lecturer at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, added: “New Jersey may be one of the smallest states in the nation but it is a vital hub for the distribution of goods across the country. While warehouses and distribution centers are visible throughout the state, the activities that occur within them — as well as the number of workers employed and the economic value they generate — are often less apparent. Not only does this report quantify those numbers, it also shows just how great that impact really is.”
To be sure, the findings dovetail with the mission of Circulate NJ, a fast-growing coalition of companies and organizations in the transportation, logistics and distribution industries that make up New Jersey’s supply chain. Launched last fall, the group has sought to promote the economic benefits of the state’s logistics sector and defuse the hostile rhetoric that has derailed a growing number of warehouse projects in recent years.
“Previously available data showed the numerous benefits of the state’s logistics industry,” said David Greek, chair of Circulate NJ and managing partner of Greek Real Estate Partners in East Brunswick. “That data, however, was years old and did not reflect the true nature of how large that impact is. This new report provides a great picture of just how many New Jerseyans rely on the logistics industry for their livelihood. We thank NAIOP NJ, the Shipping Association of New York and New Jersey, Rutgers and Anne Strauss-Wieder for bringing this valuable information to the public.”
