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DC's Unemployment Rate Remains at 6.6 Percent for Third Month
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(Washington, DC) Today, Gregg Irish, director of the Department of Employment Services (DOES) announced that the District of Columbia's February 2004 unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) was 6.6 percent, unchanged from the January 2004 rate of 6.6 percent. The February 2004 rate was 0.7 percent lower than the February 2003 rate.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February 2004 was 6.1 percent; 0.2 percent lower than the 6.3 percent rate in January 2004 and 0.7 percent below the rate in February 2003.
“The drop in the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in February continues to be a positive development for District residents,” said Director Irish. The civilian labor force grew by 2,600 with a 4,400 increase in the number of employed city residents and a 1,800-drop in the number of unemployed workers. Also, the February 2004 wage and salary employment statistics showed that jobs continued to expand and registered a positive over-the-year growth of 3,900 jobs.”
District of Columbia Civilian Labor Force, Employment, Unemployment and Unemployment Rate
Over the month, the District’s civilian labor force increased by 3,500 to 302,000. A total of 282,000 residents were employed and 20,000 were unemployed in February 2004. A 3,200 increase in the number of employed residents coupled with a 300 rise in the number of unemployed residents resulted in the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate holding steady at 6.6 percent.
The District’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for February was 6.1 percent; 0.2 percent lower than January’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate and 0.7 percent lower than the rate in February 2003.
The national unemployment rate in February 2004 was 6.0 percent, not seasonally adjusted; 0.3 percent lower than the national unemployment rate in January 2004 and 0.4 percent lower than the February 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.
Over the year, the District’s civilian labor force increased by 2,600. The numbers of employed residents increased by 4,400, while the number of unemployed residents decreased by 1,800 from the prior year. The District’s February 2004 unemployment rate was 0.7 percent below the 7.3 percent rate in February 2003.
 
District Job Growth
The number of District wage and salary jobs increased by 4,400 in February 2004. The gain was due to a 4,700 increase in the private sector, partially offset by a 300-job loss in the public sector. The employment gain in the private sector was due primarily to a 3,400 increase in educational and health services, which resulted from a 3,300 seasonal increase in educational services. Professional and business services increased by 900 jobs with a 700-job gain in legal services. Leisure and hospitality gained 400 jobs and other services added 200 jobs. Natural resources and construction; trade, transportation and utilities; and financial activities were all unchanged over the month. Manufacturing and information registered the only private sector losses with declines of 100 jobs each. In the public sector, the federal government lost 400 jobs, while public transportation gained 100 jobs, and the District government was unchanged.
In the last 12 months, the District gained a total of 3,900 jobs. The private sector registered an increase of 5,200 jobs, while the public sector lost 1,300 jobs. The private sector growth was concentrated in professional and business services (up by 4,100 jobs), educational and health services (up by 1,700 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up by 1,000 jobs). Gains of 300 jobs each were registered in natural resources and construction and trade, transportation and utilities. The remaining private sector industries lost jobs over the year with the largest reductions in information (down by 1,100 jobs) and other services (down by 700 jobs). In the public sector, the District government lost 1,100 jobs and the federal government lost 300 jobs, while transportation gained 100 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 4,500 in February 2004 as employment rose by 8,100 and the number unemployed decreased by 3,500. The unemployment rate in the suburban ring, at 2.8 percent in February, was 0.1 percent lower than the January 2004 rate.
Over the year, the number of employed residents in the suburban ring rose by 77,000. With 15,400 fewer unemployed suburban residents, the suburban civilian labor force rose by 61,500. The suburban ring’s February 2004 unemployment rate of 2.8 percent was 0.6 percent lower than the 3.4 percent rate in February 2003.
For the Washington Metropolitan Area, the civilian labor force increased by 8,000 in February 2004. The number of employed residents in the metropolitan area rose by 11,300, and the number of unemployed residents decreased by 3,200. The metropolitan area’s unemployment rate at 3.2 percent in February 2004 was 0.1 percent lower than the January 2004 rate of 3.3 percent.
Compared to February 2003, the metropolitan area’s civilian labor force rose by 64,100. Employment increased by 81,400, with 17,200 fewer unemployed. The Washington Metropolitan Area’s 3.2 percent February 2004 unemployment rate was 0.6 percent lower than the February 2003 rate of 3.8 percent.
Washington Metropolitan Area Job Growth
Total wage and salary employment in the Washington Metropolitan Area increased over the month by 7,300. The private sector gained 6,400 jobs and the public sector added 900 jobs. The increase in the private sector resulted from gains in professional and business services (up by 5,300 jobs), educational and health services (up by 4,000 jobs), other services (up by 1,000 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (up by 700 jobs). These gains were partially offset by losses in trade, transportation, and utilities (down by 1,900 jobs), natural resources, mining and construction (down by 1,200 jobs), financial activities (down by 800 jobs), information (down by 600 jobs) and manufacturing which lost 100 jobs. In the public sector, local government gained 1,600 jobs, while federal government jobs declined by 600 and state government lost 100 jobs.
During the past 12 months, the Washington Metropolitan Area gained 55,000 jobs. The private sector gained 46,900 jobs and the public sector added 8,100 jobs. The major sources of job growth in the private sector were professional and business services (up by 19,400 jobs), leisure and hospitality (up by 12,700 jobs), trade, transportation, and utilities (up by 8,900 jobs), and natural resources, mining and construction (up by 7,200 jobs). Private sector gains were also registered in financial activities (up by 2,300 jobs), other services (up by 1,000 jobs), and educational and health services (up by 700 jobs). Meanwhile, the manufacturing and information industries continued to report job losses –manufacturing lost 2,800 jobs, while information shed 2,500. In government, local government added 7,400 jobs and the federal government gained 3,400 jobs, while state government lost 2,700 jobs.
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