(Washington, DC) -   The DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) announced, today, that the District 's seasonally adjusted November 2008 unemployment rate was 8.0 percent, up 0.7 percent from the October 2008 rate.  The November 2008 rate is 2.3 percent higher than the rate in November 2007.

The seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate was 6.7percent in November 2008, a rise of 0.2 percent from the October 2008 rate, and 2.0 percent higher than the November 2007 rate.

District of Columbia’s Civilian Labor Force, Employment and Unemployment 
 
The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November 2008 was 8.4 percent, up 1.0 percent from the rate in October 2008 and 2.7 percent higher than the rate in November 2007.

Over the month, the District’s civilian labor force decreased by 700 to 328,600.  A total of 301,000 residents were employed and 27,600 were unemployed in November 2008.  A 3,900 decrease in the number of employed residents along with a 3,300 increase in the number of unemployed residents resulted in a 1.0 percent increase in the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.

From November 2007 to November 2008, the District’s civilian labor force increased by 1,500 as the number of employed residents decreased by 7,500 and the number of unemployed residents increased by 9,000. The District’s November 2008 unemployment rate was 2.7 percent higher than the rate in November 2007.

The November 2008 national unemployment rate of 6.5 percent (not seasonally adjusted) was 0.4 percent higher than the rate in October 2008 and 2.0 percent higher than the rate in November 2007.

District of Columbia Job Growth
 
The number of District wage and salary jobs decreased by 800 in November 2008. The public sector decreased by 800 jobs, while the total private sector was unchanged. In the private sector, educational and health services added 700 jobs, and professional and business services, and trade, transportation and utilities added 100 jobs each. Leisure and hospitality, and other services lost 400 jobs each; and manufacturing lost 100 jobs. Meanwhile natural resources, mining and construction, financial activities, and information were unchanged over the month. In the public sector, the District Government and the federal government lost 400 jobs each; while transportation was unchanged.

In the last twelve months, the District gained a total of 5,400 jobs. The private sector added 6,500 jobs and the public sector lost 1,100 jobs. The private sector growth occurred in educational and health services (up by 2,800 jobs), other services (up by 2,100 jobs), professional and business services (up by 1,800 jobs), trade, transportation and utilities (up by 400 jobs), natural resources, mining and construction (up by 300 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up by 200 jobs). Losses were noted in financial activities (down by 500 jobs), information (down by 400 jobs), and manufacturing (down by 200 jobs). In the public sector, the federal government increased by 700 jobs; transportation lost 1,300 jobs; while the District government shed 500 jobs.