District of Columbia Unemployment Rate at 6.1 Percent in May

(Washington, DC) - The District of Columbia's Department of Employment Services (DOES) reported today that the seasonally adjusted preliminary unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in May 2026, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the revised April 2026 rate of 6.2 percent.

"As we look forward to another summer of engaging youth with career exploration and connecting them to meaningful work experiences, we are setting the stage for continued growth and a strong future for all residents," said DOES Director Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes. The District's preliminary May job estimate shows a decrease of 3,000 jobs, for a total of 717,200 jobs in the District. The private sector decreased by 2,700 jobs. The public sector decreased by 300. The numbers are drawn from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) through its monthly survey of the District of Columbia's employers.

The number of employed District residents decreased by 200 from 379,100 in April 2026 to 378,900 in May 2026. The civilian labor force for the District decreased by 500 from 404,200 in April 2026 to 403,700 in May 2026. The labor force participation rate decreased by 0.1 percentage points from 70.6 percent in April 2026 to 70.5 percent in May 2026.

Employment Overview

• Manufacturing sector remained the same, after remaining the same in the prior month. With employment at 1,000 jobs, jobs decreased by 100 or 9.09 percent from a year ago.
• Mining, Logging and Construction sector increased by 400, after remaining the same in the prior month. With employment at 14,500 jobs, jobs increased by 700 or 5.07 percent from a year ago.
• Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sector decreased by 200 jobs, after decreasing by 100 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 29,200 jobs, jobs decreased by 600 or 2.01 percent from a year ago.
• Information sector decreased by 100 jobs, after increasing by 100 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 17,400 jobs, jobs decreased by 900 or 4.92 percent from a year ago.
• Financial Activities sector increased by 200 jobs, after decreasing by 200 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 24,700 jobs, jobs decreased by 200 or 0.8 percent from a year ago.
• Professional and Business Services sector decreased by 400 jobs, after increasing by 800 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 160,600 jobs, jobs decreased by 5,600 or 3.37 percent from a year ago.
• Educational and Health Services sector decreased by 2,500 jobs, after decreasing by 400 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 124,700 jobs, jobs decreased by 2,700 jobs or 2.12 percent from a year ago.
• Leisure and Hospitality sector increased by 300 jobs, after increasing by 3,100 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 77,200 jobs, jobs decreased by 2,500 jobs or 3.14 percent from a year ago.
• Other Services sector decreased by 400 jobs, after increasing by 100 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 62,000 jobs, jobs decreased by 1,400 or 2.21 percent from a year ago.

Labor Force Overview

• The number of employed District residents decreased by 200 over the month to 378,900. The civilian labor force decreased by 500 to 403,700.
• One year ago, total employment was 387,800 and the civilian labor force was 413,200.

The number of unemployed was 25,400, and the unemployment rate was 6.1 percent.

NOTES: The May 2026 final and June 2026 preliminary unemployment rates will be released on Tuesday July 21, 2026. Historical jobs and labor force estimates for the District of Columbia and detailed labor market information is available HERE.

Technical Notes: Estimates of industry employment and unemployment levels are determined using two different monthly surveys.

Industry employment data is derived from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, a monthly survey of business establishments conducted by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the US Department of Labor, which provides estimates of employment, hours, and earnings data broken down by industry for the nation as a whole, all states, and most major metropolitan areas (often referred to as the "establishment" survey).

Resident employment and unemployment data are mainly derived from the District's portion of the national Current Population Survey (CPS), a household survey conducted each month by the US Census Bureau under contract with BLS, which provides input to the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program (often referred to as the "household" survey).

Both industry and household estimates are revised each month based on additional information from updated survey reports compiled by BLS. In addition, these estimates are benchmarked (revised) annually based on actual counts from the District's Unemployment Compensation Law administrative records and other data.

Data reflects 2025 annual benchmark revisions
Industry employment data is not seasonally adjusted.