(Washington, DC)   Susan Gilbert, Interim Director of the Department of Employment Services (DOES) announced today that the District of Columbia's seasonally adjusted December 2006 unemployment rate was 6.3 percent, up 0.3 percent from the November 2006 rate.  The December 2006 rate was 0.4 percent higher than the rate in December 2005.

“Although the unemployment rate rose again in December, the 2006 not seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.8 percent is the lowest yearly unemployment rate since 2000 and the second lowest annual rate over the past sixteen years,” said Interim Director Gilbert.  “Over the year, the seasonally adjusted statistics show an 800 increase in the number of employed residents and a 1,300 increase in the number unemployed resulting in a 2,000 rise in the District’s labor force.”

The seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate in December 2006 was 4.5 percent; unchanged from the November 2006 rate and 0.4 percent lower than the December 2005, seasonally adjusted, national unemployment rate.

District of Columbia’s Civilian Labor Force, Employment and Unemployment 

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2006 was 6.2 percent; up 0.5 percent from the November 2006 rate and 0.5 percent higher than the rate in December 2005.
 
Over the month, the District’s civilian labor force increased by 300 to 293,400.  A total of 275,200 residents were employed and 18,200 were unemployed in December 2006.  A 1,100 decrease in the number of employed residents along with a 1,400 rise in the number of unemployed residents resulted in the 0.5 percent increase in the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.
 
From December 2005 to December 2006, the District’s civilian labor force increased by 1,400 as the number of employed residents decreased by 200 and the number of unemployed residents increased by 1,500.  The District’s December 2006 unemployment rate was 0.5 percent higher than the rate in December 2005.

The December 2006 national unemployment rate of 4.3 percent (not seasonally adjusted) was unchanged from the rate in November 2006 and 0.3 percent lower than the rate in December 2005.

District of Columbia Job Growth

The number of District wage and salary jobs decreased by 900 in December 2006.  The private sector declined by 700 jobs and the public sector lost 200 jobs.   In the private sector, educational and health services decreased by 900 jobs, leisure and hospitality declined by 700 jobs and natural resources and construction lost 300 jobs. Trade, transportation and utilities gained 600 jobs, professional and business services added 400 jobs, and financial activities gained 200 jobs.  Manufacturing, information, and other services were unchanged.  In the public sector, the Federal Government and District Government lost 100 jobs each while transportation was unchanged. 

In the last 12 months, the District gained a total of 8,400 jobs.  The private sector added 9,800 jobs while the public sector lost 1,400 jobs.  The private sector growth occurred in professional and business services (up by 3,100 jobs), educational and health services (up by 1,600 jobs), information (up by 1,500 jobs), financial activities and leisure and hospitality (up by 1,100 jobs each), trade, transportation and utilities (up by 600 jobs), natural resources and construction (up by 400 jobs), and manufacturing and other services (up by 200 jobs each).  In the public sector, transportation gained 400 jobs while the Federal Government and District Government shed 900 jobs each.