The District of Columbia's March 2006 Unemployment Rate Remains at 5.3 Percent - Releases

(Washington, DC) The Department of Employment Services (DOES) today announced that the District of Columbia's seasonally adjusted March 2006 unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, unchanged from the February 2006 rate. Over the year the District’s March unemployment rate declined by 1.6 percent.

“The March unemployment rate remains at a 16-year low and shows substantial over-the-year improvement in unemployment among District residents. Compared to a year earlier, there were 5,100 fewer unemployed residents,” said DOES Director Gregg Irish.

The seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate in March 2006 was 4.7 percent; down 0.1 percent from the February 2006 rate and 0.4 percent lower than the March 2005, seasonally adjusted, national unemployment rate.

District of Columbia Civilian Labor Force, Employment, Unemployment and Unemployment Rate

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March 2006 was 5.5 percent; unchanged from the February 2006 rate and 1.5 percent lower than the 7.0 percent rate in March 2005.

Over the month, the District’s civilian labor force decreased by 2,500 to 289,400. A total of 273,600 residents were employed and 15,800 were unemployed in March 2006. A 2,200 decrease in the number of employed residents along with a 300 drop in the number of unemployed residents resulted in no change in the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.

From March 2005 to March 2006, the District’s civilian labor force decreased by 7,400 as the number of employed residents decreased by 2,300 and the number of unemployed residents decreased by 5,100. The District’s March 2006 unemployment rate was 1.5 percent lower than the 7.0 percent rate in March 2005.

The March 2006 national unemployment rate of 4.8 percent (not seasonally adjusted) was down 0.3 percent from the rate in February 2006 and 0.6 percent lower than the rate in March 2005.

District of Columbia Job Growth

The number of District wage and salary jobs increased by 4,200 in March 2006. The private sector gained 3,900 jobs and the public sector added 300 jobs. In the private sector, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality added 1,100 jobs each; other services added 600 jobs; and natural resources and construction and information increased by 300 jobs each; educational and health services gained 200 jobs; manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities and financial activities added 100 jobs each. In the public sector, the federal government shed 200 jobs, the District government gained 400 jobs and transportation added 100 jobs.

In the last 12 months, the District gained a total of 10,300 jobs. The private sector added 11,900 jobs while the public sector lost 1,600 jobs. The private sector growth occurred in professional and business services (up by 3,700 jobs), educational and health services (up by 3,500 jobs), leisure and hospitality (up by 3,300 jobs), financial activities (up by 900 jobs), information (up by 600 jobs), and trade, transportation and utilities (up by 200 jobs). Losses were noted in natural resources and construction (down by 200 jobs) and manufacturing (down by 100 jobs). Other services was unchanged over the year. In the public sector, the federal government lost 1,800 jobs and transportation lost 200 jobs while the District government gained 400 jobs.