District of Columbia Unemployment Rate Falls to 6.0 Percent in June Job Gains Highlight Resilience Across Sectors

(Washington, DC) - The District of Columbia's Department of Employment Services (DOES) reported today that the seasonally adjusted preliminary unemployment rate was 6.0 percent in June 2026, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the revised May 2026 rate of 6.1 percent.

The District's preliminary May job estimate shows an increase of 4,600 jobs, for a total of 721,800 jobs in the District. The private sector increased by 3,700 jobs. The public sector increased by 900. The numbers are drawn from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) through its monthly survey of the District of Columbia's employers.

"These employment gains reflect the resilience and determination of the District's workforce and employers," said DOES Director Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes. "With both private and public sectors contributing to job growth, we remain committed to supporting continued progress and opportunity for residents across all eight wards."

The number of employed District residents decreased by 600 from 378,900 in May 2026 to 378,300 in June 2026. The civilian labor force for the District decreased by 1,100 from 403,700 in May 2026 to 402,600 in June 2026. The labor force participation rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points from 70.5 percent in May 2026 to 70.3 percent in June 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 one year ago.
• Mining, Logging and Construction sector increased by 300, after increasing by 200 in the prior month. With employment at 14,600 jobs, jobs increased by 700 or 5.04 percent from one year ago.
• Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sector increased by 400 jobs, after decreasing by 200 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 29,600 jobs, jobs decreased by 300 or 1.00 percent from one year ago.
• Information sector increased by 300 jobs, after remaining the same in the prior month. With employment at 17,800 jobs, jobs decreased by 800 or 4.3 percent from one year ago.
• Financial Activities sector increased by 400 jobs, after increasing by 200 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 25,100 jobs, jobs decreased by 100 or 0.4 percent from one year ago.
• Professional and Business Services sector increased by 2,100 jobs, after decreasing by 800 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 162,300 jobs, the number of jobs decreased by 5,900 or 3.51 percent from one year ago.
• Educational and Health Services sector decreased by 1,600 jobs, after decreasing by 2.500 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 123,100 jobs, jobs decreased by 3,300 jobs or 2.61 percent from one year ago.
• Leisure and Hospitality sector increased by 600 jobs, after increasing by 500 jobs in the prior month. With employment at 78,000 jobs, the number of jobs decreased by 1,400 jobs or 1.76 percent from one year ago.
• Other Services sector increased by 1,200 jobs, after remaining the same in the prior month. With employment at 63,600 jobs, the number of jobs decreased by 400 or .63 percent from one year ago.

Labor Force Overview

• The number of employed District residents decreased by 600 over the month to 378,300. The civilian labor force decreased by 1,100 to 402,600.
• One year ago, total employment was 386,200 and the civilian labor force was 411,900. The number of unemployed was 25,600, and the unemployment rate was 6.2 percent.

NOTES: The June 2026 final and July 2026 preliminary unemployment rates will be released on Friday August 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.