South Carolina Retirement System vs New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
South Carolina Retirement System (C) and New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) (C) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 55% 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
New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 54/100 (C) compared to South Carolina Retirement System at 52/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 2.8 percentage points (52.3% vs 55.1%). New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) covers 425,000 participants.
| Metric | South Carolina Retirement System | New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 52/100 (C) | 54/100 (C)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 55.1%* | 52.3% |
| Total Assets | $35.5B | $34.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $64.4B* | $65.0B |
| Unfunded Liability | $28.9B* | $31.0B |
| Participants | 575,000 | 425,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.2%* | 5.1% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | high |
| Sponsor | State of South Carolina | State of New Jersey |
New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 54/100 (C) compared to South Carolina Retirement System at 52/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 2.8 percentage points (52.3% vs 55.1%). New Jersey Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) covers 425,000 participants.