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District of Columbia

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Payroll employment in the District of Columbia declined by 800 jobs (0.1 percent) in February. The unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage point to 5.4 percent.

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Labor market icon showing three people Labor Market Conditions

  • "Labor market conditions in the District of Columbia deteriorated slightly in February as payroll employment declined in the month and the unemployment rate edged higher." – Joseph Mengedoth
  • Total payroll employment in the District of Columbia declined by 800 jobs (0.1 percent) in February. The overall decline was driven by job cuts in the government sector, which shed 1,900 jobs in the month. Most private sector industries saw small changes in February with notable exceptions of an 800 job gain in leisure and hospitality and a 700 job gain in "other" services.
  • On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment in the District of Columbia fell by 1,900 jobs (0.2 percent), on net. Compared to last year, the largest declines occurred in government (2,700 jobs) and professional and business services (1,800 jobs).
  • The unemployment rate in the District of Columbia edged up 0.1 percentage point to 5.4 percent as the number of unemployed people increased slightly in February.

Housing Market icon showing a picture of a house Housing Market Conditions

  • D.C. issued 18 new residential permits in February, down from the 260 issued in January. This is lower than the 83 permits issued in February 2024.
  • According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, home values depreciated by 0.9 percent from Q3 of 2024 to Q4 of 2024. Additionally, home values increased by 2.3 percent from Q4 of 2023 to Q4 of 2024.
Snapshot Resources
  • Term Definitions

    Payroll Employment
    The number of nonfarm jobs (persons on payrolls) according to where those jobs are located.

    Unemployment Rate
    The number of unemployed persons (those not employed but available and searching for work) as a percent of the civilian labor force (the total number of employed plus unemployed persons).

    Industry Structure
    A breakdown of total nonfarm jobs by industry. Percentages sum to 100 percent.

    Industry Growth
    The percentage change in jobs in each industry from a year ago.

    Building Permits
    The number of privately owned single-family and multi-family units authorized in permit-issuing places.

    House Price Index
    A repeat sales index, measuring average price changes in repeat sales or refinancings on the same single-family properties.

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Joseph Mengedoth