District Reports Job Gains in April as Unemployment Falls to 6.2 Percent

(Washington, DC) - The District of Columbia's Department of Employment Services (DOES) reported today that the seasonally adjusted preliminary unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in April 2026, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the revised March 2026 rate of 6.3 percent.

The District's preliminary April job estimate shows an increase of 2,300 jobs, for a total of 719,900 jobs in the District. The private sector increased by 3,100 jobs. The public sector decreased by 800. "The District's job gains signal our commitment to fostering a vibrant, resilient economy for all residents," said DC Labor Secretary and DOES Director Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes. "As unemployment declines and new opportunities emerge, we remain dedicated to supporting workers and employers, ensuring the District continues moving in the right direction." 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 400 from 379,500 in March 2026 to 379,100 in April 2026. The civilian labor force for the District decreased by 900 from 405,100 in March 2026 to 404,200 in April 2026. The labor force participation rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points from 70.8 percent in March 2026 to 70.6 percent in April 2026.

Employment Overview

• Manufacturing sector remained the same for the second month. With employment at 1,000 jobs, jobs decreased by 100 or 9.09 percent from one year ago.
• Mining, Logging and Construction sector remained the same, after increasing by 300 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 14,100 jobs, jobs increased by 400 or 2.92 percent from one year ago.
• Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sector decreased by 100 jobs, after increasing by 400 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 29,400 jobs, jobs decreased by 500 or 1.67 percent from one year ago.
• Information sector increased by 200 jobs, after increasing by 200 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 17,600 jobs, jobs decreased by 600 or 3.3 percent from one year ago.
• Financial Activities sector remains the same, after remaining the same in the prior month. With employment at 24,700 jobs, jobs decreased by 300 or 1.2 percent from one year ago.
• Professional and Business Services sector increased by 500 jobs, after decreasing by 200 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 160,700 jobs, jobs decreased by 5,900 or 3.54 percent from one year ago.
• Educational and Health Services sector decreased by 400 jobs, after increasing by 200 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 127,200 jobs, jobs decreased by 2,200 jobs or 1.7 percent from one year ago.
• Leisure and Hospitality sector increased by 3,300 jobs, after increasing by 1,400 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 77,100 jobs, jobs decreased by 1,900 jobs or 2.41 percent from one year ago.
• Other Services sector decreased by 400 jobs, after increasing by 600 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 61,900 jobs, jobs decreased by 1,800 or 2.83 percent from one year ago.

Labor Force Overview

• The number of employed District residents decreased by 400 over the month to 379,100. The civilian labor force decreased by 900 to 404,200.
• One year ago, total employment was 389,100 and the civilian labor force was 414,300. The number of unemployed was 25,100, and the unemployment rate was 6.1 percent.

NOTES: The April 2026 final and May 2026 preliminary unemployment rates will be released on Tuesday June 23, 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.