(Washington, DC) Today, Gregg Irish, Director of the Department of Employment Services (DOES), announced that the District of Columbia's January 2004 unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) was 6.6 percent, unchanged from the December 2003 revised rate of 6.6 percent. Over the year, the January 2004 rate was lower by 0.3 percent.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January 2004 was 6.3 percent; 0.7 percent lower than the 7.0 percent revised rate in December 2003 and also 0.3 percent below the rate in January 2003.
“The seasonally adjusted drop in the January unemployment rate is a positive development for District residents,” said Director Irish. “The January labor force (not seasonally adjusted) showed positive over-the-year movement in all components. The District’s civilian labor force grew by 1,800 with a 2,700 increase in the number of employed residents and a 1,000-drop in the number of unemployed workers. Wage and salary employment in January, showed that jobs continued to expand, registering a positive over-the-year growth of 1,700 jobs.”
District of Columbia Civilian Labor Force, Employment, Unemployment and Unemployment Rate
Over the month, the District’s civilian labor force increased by 2,700 to 298,400. A total of 278,800 residents were employed and 19,600 were unemployed in January 2004. A 2,600 increase in the number of employed residents coupled with a rise of 100 unemployed residents resulted in the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate holding steady at 6.6 percent.
The District’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 6.3 percent; seven-tenths of a percent lower than December’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate and three-tenths of a percent lower than the rate in January 2003.
The January 2004 national unemployment rate of 6.3 percent, not seasonally adjusted, was nine-tenths of a percent higher than the national unemployment rate in December 2003 and two-tenths of a percent lower than the January 2003 rate.
The seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate in January 2004 was 5.6 percent; one-tenth of a percent lower than in December 2003, and two-tenths of a percent lower than the January 2003, seasonally adjusted, national unemployment rate.
From January 2003 to January 2004, the District’s civilian labor force increased by 1,800. The number of employed residents increased by 2,700, while the number of unemployed residents decreased by 1,000 from the prior year. The District’s January 2004 unemployment rate was three-tenths of a percent below the 6.9 percent rate in January 2003.
District Job Growth
The number of District wage and salary jobs decreased by 10,600 in January 2004. The decrease in employment was due to a 9,100 decline in the private sector and a 1,500-job loss in the public sector. The loss of employment in the private sector was due to seasonal reductions occurring throughout most major industry sectors. Professional and business services lost 2,600 jobs; educational and health services declined by 2,000 jobs; leisure and hospitality lost 1,500 jobs; other services declined by 1,300 jobs; trade, transportation and utilities lost 1,100 jobs; as jobs in financial activities declined by 500; and natural resources and construction registered a loss of 300 jobs. Information registered the only private sector gain with an increase of 200 jobs. In the public sector, the federal government lost 1,100 jobs, district government jobs declined by 300, and public transportation lost 100 jobs.
In the last 12 months, the District gained a total of 1,700 jobs. The private sector registered a gain of 2,600 jobs, while the public sector lost 900 jobs. The private sector gain was due primarily to a 3,300 increase in professional and business services concentrated in professional, scientific and technical services. Leisure and hospitality registered a gain of 900 jobs and trade, transportation and utilities added 100 jobs. Natural resources and construction showed no change over the year. The remaining private sector industries lost jobs over the year with the largest reductions in information (down by 700 jobs), other services (down by 400 jobs) and educational and health services (down by 300 jobs). In the public sector, the federal government lost 500 jobs and the District government lost 400 jobs.
Washington Metropolitan Area Civilian Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment Rate
The civilian labor force in the suburban ring of communities surrounding the District of Columbia increased by 31,600 in January 2004, as employment rose by 26,100 and the number unemployed increased by 5,700. The unemployment rate in the suburban ring, at 2.9 percent in January, was two-tenths of a percent higher than the December 2003 rate.
Over the year, the number of employed residents in the suburban ring rose by 76,800. The suburban civilian labor force rose by 68,900, with 7,700 fewer unemployed suburban residents. The suburban ring’s January 2004 unemployment rate of 2.9 percent was four-tenths of a percent lower than the 3.3 percent rate in January 2003.
For the Washington Metropolitan Area, the civilian labor force increased by 34,300 in January 2004. The number of employed residents in the metropolitan area rose by 28,700, and the number of unemployed residents increased by 5,800. The metropolitan area’s unemployment rate, at 3.3 percent in January 2004, was two-tenths of a percent higher than the December 2003 rate of 3.1 percent.
Compared to January 2003, the Metropolitan Area’s civilian labor force rose by 70,700. Employment increased by 79,500, with 8,700 fewer unemployed workers. The Washington Metropolitan Area’s 3.3 percent January 2004 unemployment rate was four-tenths of a percent lower than the January 2003 rate of 3.7 percent.
Washington Metropolitan Area Job Growth
Total wage and salary employment in the Washington Metropolitan Area decreased over the month by 39,700. The private sector lost 34,900 jobs and the public sector lost 4,800 jobs. The decline in the private sector was the result of primarily seasonal losses in leisure and hospitality (down by 7,500 jobs), trade, transportation and utilities (down by 6,800 jobs), educational and health services (down by 6,600 jobs), natural resources, mining and construction (down by 4,700 jobs), and professional and business services (down by 4,100 jobs). Financial activities and other services lost 3,400 and 1,800 jobs, respectively. Manufacturing lost 500 jobs while information registered the only gain with an increase of 500 jobs. In the public sector, local government lost 2,400 jobs, federal government jobs declined by 1,800 and state government lost 600 jobs.
During the past 12 months, the Washington Metropolitan Area gained 47,200 jobs. The private sector gained 34,900 jobs and the public sector added 12,300 jobs. The major sources of job growth in the private sector were professional and business services (up by 13,600 jobs), leisure and hospitality (up by 10,900 jobs), and trade, transportation and utilities (up by 8,200 jobs). Private sector gains were also registered in natural resources, mining and construction (up by 6,400 jobs) and financial activities (up by 2,700 jobs). Meanwhile, the manufacturing and information industries continued to report job losses –manufacturing lost 2,600 jobs, while information shed 1,700 jobs. Educational and health services lost 2,400 jobs, while other services registered a slight loss of 200 jobs. In the public sector, local government added 7,200 jobs, federal government gained 3,100 jobs, and state government added 2,000 jobs.