The basics:

• Forbes names 23 NJ-based companies to Best Employers for Women list
• Johnson & Johnson ranks No. 2 nationally for second straight year
• Ranking examines pay equity, career advancement, workplace benefits

While the number of women in the workforce has outpaced that of men as of this year, the gender wage gap still needs balancing.

That’s according to Forbes, which unveiled its 2026 Best Employers for Women list earlier this month.

Created in partnership with data analysis firm Statista, the list recognizes “standout employers making progress on gender pay equity and providing women with myriad opportunities to advance in their careers and take on leadership roles.”

To determine the findings, Forbes and Statista analyzed survey responses from more than 146,000 women working for companies that employ at least 1,000 people in the U.S.

Employees were asked:

• How likely they were to recommend their current and previous employers or other employers in their industry
• To rate their current employers in areas such as pay equity, career development, parental leave, work-life balance, benefits for childcare or eldercare, and handling of incidents related to sexual misconduct and discrimination

Analysts also factored in the percentage of women in executive and board positions at each company.

NJ honorees

The 700 companies with the highest scores made the final ranking. Of those, 23 companies are headquartered in New Jersey.

Landing in the No. 2 spot, Johnson & Johnson is the highest-ranking Garden State company on the list. In its analysis of the ranking, Forbes noted this is the second year in a row that the New Brunswick-based health giant nabbed that position.

Forbes also lists Chanel in its Garden State findings; however, that company is headquartered in London but maintains a facility in Piscataway.

Additionally, New York City-headquartered Compass Inc. acquired Madison-based Anywhere Real Estate Inc. Jan. 9. Forbes incorporates data from the past three years, so the company appears in the New Jersey findings. NJBIZ included Compass below.

New Jersey’s Best Employers for Women, according to Forbes:

• No. 2: Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick
  Drugs & Biotechnology
• No. 90: TD Bank, Mount Laurel
  Banking and Financial Services
• No. 147: Rutgers University, New Brunswick
  Education
• No. 154: Novartis, East Hanover
  Drugs & Biotechnology
• No. 167: Inspira Health, Mullica Hill
  Healthcare & Social Services
• No. 188: Bayer, Whippany
  Drugs & Biotechnology
• No. 206: Cooper University Health Care, Camden
  Healthcare & Social Services
• No. 215: Zoetis, Parsippany-Troy Hills
  Drugs & Biotechnology
• No. 237: Prudential Financial, Newark
  Banking and Financial Services
• No. 281: Automatic Data Processing, Roseland
  Business Services & Supplies
• No. 294: PSEG (Public Service Enterprise Group), Newark
  Utilities
• No. 303: KnitWell Group, Mahwah
  Clothing, Shoes, Sports Equipment
• No. 317: Compass International Holdings, Madison
  Business Services & Supplies
• No. 339: Verisk Analytics, Jersey City
  Business Services & Supplies
• No. 402: Merck & Co., Rahway
  Drugs & Biotechnology
• No. 435: BMW Group, Woodcliff Lake
  Automotive (Automotive and Suppliers)
• No. 509: B&G Foods, Parsippany
  Food, Soft Beverages, Alcohol & Tobacco
• No. 513: Panasonic, Newark
  Semiconductors, Electronics, Electrical Engineering
• No. 546: Benjamin Moore, Montvale
  Construction, Chemicals, Raw Materials
• No. 573: Novo Nordisk, Plainsboro
  Drugs & Biotechnology
• No. 592: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Newark
  Insurance
• No. 614: American Water Works, Camden
  Utilities
• No. 638: Quest Diagnostics, Secaucus
  Medical Equipment & Services

American Water celebrated its standing in an Aug. 11 statement.

“American Water is proud to be recognized as one of the country’s Best Employers for Women,” said Lori Sutton, the utility’s executive vice president and chief human resources officer. “We seek to understand, value and provide opportunity for all employees, and we will continue to foster an environment where women – and all employees – have opportunities to grow and succeed.”