After starting to fall in 2010, DC’s unemployment rate is on the rise again in 2011. As of September 2011, unemployment rate was 11.1 percent, up from 9.6 percent at the end of 2010.
Who are the District’s unemployed residents? An analysis of monthly data from the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey shows that the increase in unemployment has been widespread, but that DC’s most economically vulnerable residents have been especially hurt by the recession. The residents most likely to be unemployed have low levels of formal education and are in low-wage occupations.
DCFPI will be tracking changes in unemployment on a quarterly basis, looking at how the rate has changed overall but also among groups of DC residents. We will look at unemployment by education, race/ethnicity, age, household, and occupation. This analysis focuses on unemployment in the third quarter of 2011 (July to September), the most recent three months for which data are available.
To read the full analysis, click here.