New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) vs Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Verdict
Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 57/100 (C) compared to New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 10.8 percentage points (63.1% vs 52.3%). Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) covers 245,000 participants.
| Metric | New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) | Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 54/100 (C) | 57/100 (C)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 52.3% | 63.1%* |
| Total Assets | $34.0B | $36.2B |
| Total Liabilities | $65.0B | $57.4B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $31.0B | $21.2B* |
| Participants | 425,000 | 245,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.1% | 5.4%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | high |
| Sponsor | State of New Jersey | State of Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 57/100 (C) compared to New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 10.8 percentage points (63.1% vs 52.3%). Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) covers 245,000 participants.