NEWS RELEASE


CONTACT:        Kenneth Wagner, SVP Investor Relations
                Provident Financial Services, Inc.
                (201) 915-5344

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 25, 2006

                       PROVIDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.
                          ANNOUNCES ANNUAL MEETING DATE


Jersey City, New Jersey -

     Provident  Financial  Services,  Inc. (NYSE:  PFS) announced today that its
Annual  Meeting of  Stockholders  will be held on Wednesday,  April 26, 2006, at
10:00 a.m.  local  time,  at the Hilton  Newark  Airport,  1170  Spring  Street,
Elizabeth, New Jersey.

     The  Annual  Meeting of  Stockholders  is being  held for the  purposes  of
considering and voting on the election of five directors and the ratification of
the  appointment  of  independent  auditors.  The  record  date for  determining
stockholders  of record  entitled to notice of the Annual Meeting and to vote is
the close of business on March 3, 2006.

     Provident Financial Services, Inc. is the holding company for The Provident
Bank,  a  community-oriented  bank  that  offers  a full  range  of  retail  and
commercial loan and deposit products.  The Provident Bank currently  operates 76
full service branches throughout northern and central New Jersey.