Interview: Gerard Velazquez

seats, unchanged on the previous census. The state ranked as one of the Top 10 runners-up to almost gain a new congressional seat due to its increasing population, which grew by 5.7% since the 2010 census. This rate was higher than neighboring Pennsylvania and New York and the bureau had underestimated the state’s population by about 400,000 people.

Of the total population, more than 1.8 million, or just over 19%, are located in the state’s seven southern counties, the largest of which is Camden by population and Burlington by area. Data on demographic breakdowns from the most recent census will be released by September, officials said.

As of 2019 estimates, New Jersey’s population is 72% white, 15% Black or African American and 10% Asian. About 21% of the population characterized themselves as fully or partially Hispanic or Latino. This breakdown is relatively unchanged but the Hispanic population has increased over the previous five-year period. About 32% of New Jersey residents are now speakers of nonEnglish languages, which outstrips the national average of 21.9%. The most commonly spoken language behind English is Spanish.

Although New Jersey is one of the smallest in the Gerard Velazquez

President & CEO Cumberland County Improvement Authority

What differentiates Cumberland County from other areas in South Jersey?

Quality of life in Cumberland County is really one of its greatest assets. The ability to make it to an urban metropolitan area in less than an hour really gives us a unique opportunity to grow the county. It’s a hidden gem. From a travel and quality of life perspective it provides everything anyone could want.

What significant developments are in the pipeline? The Improvement Authority is the economic development arm of the county. We started in 2013 with 39 landfill employees and we hadn’t completed any redevelopment or economic development activities. My role when I came here was to transform the authority from a landfill operator to a redevelopment authority. Now, we have about $650 million in projects and 100 employees. Our mission has been trying to get people to understand that the success of the county depends on the success of the municipalities within the county.

Over the last year, we finalized our 2020-2030 master plan and have utilized that strategy to drive development. Eds and meds are a cornerstone of this, given the presence of Rowan College SJ, Rowan University and the Inspira Health system. We want to take the corridor that used to stop in Glassboro down to our location. We want to further diversify the economy so that we are not dependent on one specific sector. We are focused on technology and we have a data center that will soon be located in the county. We are building on the executive airport to facilitate services for private jet maintenance. We want to bring workforce opportunities to the county that do not currently exist.

What business incentives does the county offer?

We have all the same incentives on the state level as our neighboring counties. The added advantage we have here is cost, including land, labor and construction. All the inputs into operating a business are less expensive here than in other parts of the state.

Of the total state population, 19% is in the seven counties that make up South Jersey

United States by land mass, coming in 47th place, it is the 11th-most populous. With an average of 1,195.5 people per square mile, New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the United States and every single county is considered an urban area by the census bureau. The most densely populated counties are in North Jersey, with South Jersey seeing much lower levels of density. According to the World Population Review, the state will continue to grow and diversify to include more seniors, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and multiracial populations. By 2025, projections show that the non-Hispanic white population’s share will drop below the majority threshold to 49.4%.

COVID-19 New Jersey has had one of the highest case numbers of COVID-19, outstripping the U.S. average cases per 100,000 at 11,483. Since the end of March 2021, case rates have been declining. New Jersey has registered about 2.2 million initial unemployment claims since the week ending March 21, 2020, with the highest spike seen at the beginning of April 2020 when about 215,000 claims were lodged in one week. Since then, initial claim rates have fallen to reach 8,330 for the week ending June 19, 2021. New Jersey’s employment rates plunged 18% year over year in April 2020 when the pandemic first struck but losses were partially reversed over the remainder of 2020 and 2021 as the pandemic came under greater control. The unemployment rate in the state as of May is now estimated at around 7.2%, down from a high of 16.6% in April 2020 but still double the 3.7% seen in February 2020. Many business leaders contribute the continued high rate of unemployment to the federal stimulus money that provided lucrative jobless benefits and which were still in place in July 2021. Although jobs are there for the taking, many people are incentivized to stay home through government programs.

“For the region, the biggest challenge is getting employees. Either getting new employees because they are anticipating growth or getting some employees back to work. That is going to be a challenge for the region, not just for the Gloucester County Chamber. In collaborating with the Workforce Development Board, we will be looking to create a pipeline for our members to source employees. That is going to be huge for the next four to five months,” said Janet Garraty, director of the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce.

The COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to have had a similar impact on New Jersey’s economy as the Great Recession in 2009, causing a 4.1% contraction. Losses for healthcare and social assistance are estimated at around $3.4 billion, for accommodation and food services at around $3.1 billion and around $2.3 billion( )