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District of Columbia

aerial view of Washington, D.C.

Payroll employment in the District of Columbia declined by 2,800 jobs (0.4 percent) in January. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3 percent.

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Labor Market Conditions

"The District of Columbia's labor market weakened in January as payroll employment declined in the month and was down compared to a year ago. The number of unemployed rose slightly but the unemployment rate was unchanged in January." – Joseph Mengedoth
Total payroll employment in the District of Columbia declined by 2,800 jobs (0.4 percent) in January. The overall decline was driven by losses in the professional and business services and government sectors, which shed 1,800 jobs and 600 jobs, respectively. The only sector to expand in the month was financial services (300 jobs).
On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment in the District of Columbia fell by 800 jobs (0.1 percent), on net. Job losses in professional and business services and government more than offset small gains in most of the remaining sectors.
The unemployment rate in the District of Columbia was unchanged at 5.3 despite a small increase in the number of unemployed people in January.

Housing Market Conditions

D.C. issued 260 new residential permits in January, down from the 299 issued in December. This is higher than the 21 permits issued in January 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