District of Columbia’s Unemployment Rate at 6.1 Percent

Washington, DC  (CompNewsNetwork) - District of Columbia's Director of the Department of Employment Services, Summer Spencer, announced that the seasonally adjusted December 2007 unemployment rate was 6.1 percent, up 0.4 percent from the November 2007 rate.  The December 2007 rate was 0.1 percent lower than the rate in December 2006.

The seasonally adjusted national unemployment rate in December 2007 was 5.0 percent; up 0.3 percent from the November 2007 rate and 0.6 percent higher than the December 2006, seasonally adjusted, national unemployment rate.

District of Columbia's Civilian Labor Force, Employment and Unemployment 

The not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2007 was 5.8 percent; unchanged from the rate in November 2007 and 0.4 percent lower than the rate in December 2006.
 
Over the month, the District's civilian labor force decreased by 1,700 to 317,900.  A total of 299,500 residents were employed and 18,500 were unemployed in December 2007.  A 1,600 decrease in the number of employed residents along with no change in the number of unemployed residents resulted in no change in the not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate.
 
From December 2006 to December 2007, the District's civilian labor force increased by 100 as the number of employed residents rose by 1,400 and the number of unemployed residents decreased by 1,200.  The District's December 2007 unemployment rate was 0.4 percent lower than the rate in December 2006.

The December 2007 national unemployment rate of 4.8 percent (not seasonally adjusted) was 0.3 percent higher than the rate in November 2007 and 0.5 percent higher than the rate in December 2006.

District of Columbia Job Growth

The number of District wage and salary jobs increased by 1,700 in December 2007.  The private sector gained 800 jobs and the public sector added 900 jobs.   In the private sector, trade, transportation and utilities and professional and business services gained 700 jobs each, other services added 500 jobs, and financial activities gained 200 jobs. Meanwhile, educational and health services decreased by 700 jobs, leisure and hospitality lost 400 jobs, and natural resources and construction shed 200 jobs.  Manufacturing and information were unchanged over the month.  In the public sector, the Federal Government gained 700 jobs; the District Government added 200 jobs; and transportation was unchanged.

In the last  12 months, the District gained a total of 10,300 jobs.  The private sector added 8,900 jobs and the public sector gained 1,400 jobs.  The private sector growth occurred in professional and business services (up by 5,500 jobs), leisure and hospitality and other services (up by 900 jobs each), financial activities (up by 800 jobs), educational and health services (up by 500 jobs), information (up by 300 jobs), and trade, transportation and utilities (up by 100 jobs).  Manufacturing was unchanged while natural resources and construction lost 100 jobs.  In the public sector, the Federal Government and the District Government gained 600 jobs each and transportation added 200 jobs.

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