The U.S. Census Bureau and the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership in collaboration with the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) and the Labor Market Information (LMI) Institute, welcomes Nicol Nicola as she presents, “Are Jobs Leaving Your State?” This pressing question has captured the attention of politicians, the media, residents, and scholars alike. This session will offer a data-driven analysis of job movement in New Jersey using the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) data, specifically leveraging Job-to-Job Flows metrics. It will examine where job shifts are occurring—both geographically —breaking down key indicators such as origin, destination, and net change. Finally, it will contextualize these movements by comparing them to the total workforce size, providing a clearer picture of New Jersey’s employment dynamics.

Nicol Nicola currently leads as the Director of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR) at the New Jersey Department of Labor. EDR has a talented team of about 50 economists, analysts, coders, and survey takers. The EDR team is responsible for collecting and disseminating critical information such as employment, occupation, business, and population. Nicol actively mentors and coaches individuals both within and outside her department. She leads a leadership training program aimed at helping participants discover their unique management style, refine their leadership strategies, and strengthen their ability to connect with their teams effectively. Nicol is also an Adjunct Professor at The College of New Jersey, where she teaches a course on business statistics to undergraduate students. Additionally, she serves as an Internship Supervisor and mentor for students in various internships.

Nicol obtained a doctorate in business administration from Rutgers Business School in 2023. She also holds a master’s degree in public policy from Monmouth University, a bachelor's degree in political science from the College of New Jersey, and an associate's degree in paralegal studies from Mercer County Community College. Additionally, Nicol has certifications in staff and data management from Rutgers University and Cornell University.