Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) vs New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) (C) and New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) (C) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 58% and 52% 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
Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 54/100 (C) compared to New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 5.5 percentage points (57.8% vs 52.3%). Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) covers 518,000 participants.
| Metric | Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) | New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 54/100 (C) | 54/100 (C) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 57.8%* | 52.3% |
| Total Assets | $72.0B | $34.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $124.6B | $65.0B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $52.6B | $31.0B* |
| Participants | 518,000 | 425,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | high |
| Sponsor | State of Pennsylvania | State of New Jersey |
Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 54/100 (C) compared to New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) at 54/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 5.5 percentage points (57.8% vs 52.3%). Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) covers 518,000 participants.