New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) vs NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) (C) and NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 52% and 74% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 68/100 (B) compared to New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 21.9 percentage points (74.2% vs 52.3%). NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS) covers 225,000 participants.
| Metric | New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) | NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 54/100 (C) | 68/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 52.3% | 74.2%* |
| Total Assets | $34.0B | $92.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $65.0B* | $124.0B |
| Unfunded Liability | $31.0B* | $32.0B |
| Participants | 425,000 | 225,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.1% | 5.4%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of New Jersey | New York City |
NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 68/100 (B) compared to New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 21.9 percentage points (74.2% vs 52.3%). NYC Teachers Retirement System (TRS) covers 225,000 participants.