(Washington, DC)  - Today, Department of Employment Services (DOES) announced that the District of Columbia's seasonally adjusted September 2008 unemployment rate was 7.0 percent, up 0.1 percent from the August 2008 rate.  The September 2008 rate was 1.3 percent higher than the rate in September 2007.

The seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in September 2008 unchanged from the August 2008 rate, and 1.4 percent higher than the September 2007 rate.

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

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September 2008 was 7.1 percent; up 0.1 percent from the rate in August 2008 and 1.2 percent higher than the rate in September 2007.
 
Over the month, the District’s civilian labor force decreased by 5,600 to 331,700.  A total of 308,100 residents were employed and 23,700 were unemployed in September 2008.  A 5,800 decrease in the number of employed residents along with a 200 increase in the number of unemployed residents resulted in a 0.1 percent increase in the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.
 
From September 2007 to September 2008, the District’s civilian labor force increased by 6,300 as the number of employed residents increased by 2,000 and the number of unemployed residents increased by 4,400. The District’s September 2008 unemployment rate was 1.2 percent higher than the rate in September 2007.

The September 2008 national unemployment rate of 6.0 percent (not seasonally adjusted) was 0.1 percent lower than the rate in August 2008 and 1.5 percent higher than the rate in September 2007.

District of Columbia Job Growth

The number of District wage and salary jobs decreased by 13,500 in September 2008. The private sector increased by 2,100 jobs while the public sector decreased by 15,600 jobs, mostly attributed to the District of Columbia’s Summer Youth Program as it came to a close. In the private sector, educational and health services added 3,200 jobs, other services added 400 jobs, leisure and hospitality added 300 jobs, and trade, transportation and utilities added 100 jobs. Professional and business services lost 1,200 jobs, financial activities lost 500 jobs, and information and natural resources, mining and construction lost 100 jobs each. Meanwhile, manufacturing was unchanged over the month. In the public sector, the District Government shed 14,700 jobs; federal government lost 900 jobs; while transportation was unchanged.

In the last twelve months, the District gained a total of 13,700 jobs. The private sector added 12,200 jobs and the public sector gained 1,500 jobs. The private sector growth occurred in educational and health services (up by 5,700 jobs), other services (up by 3,200 jobs), professional and business services (up by 3,000 jobs), leisure and hospitality (up by 900 jobs), trade, transportation and utilities (up by 300 jobs), and natural resources, mining and construction (up by 200 jobs). Losses were noted in financial activities (down by 700 jobs), information (down by 300 jobs), and manufacturing (down by 100 jobs). In the public sector, the federal government increased by 1,800 jobs; transportation added 300 jobs; while the District government shed 600 jobs.