How many jobs were lost in Washington, DC area last month?
Updated Apr. 14, 2026Refreshed annually
It lost 7,500 jobs in January 2026. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ state and local employment report, which tracks monthly job changes. Job numbers can swing month to month as local economies expand or contract, but over the past five years the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metro Area has averaged about 3,000 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
-7.5K
month to month change in number of jobs (January 2026)
The Washington, DC area job loss of 7,500 in January 2026 swung from a gain of 700 jobs in December 2025.
During the latest five-year period (February 2021 to January 2026), the Washington, DC area gained jobs in 39 out of 60 months. January 2026 had the seventh-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in July 2022 (+39,000) while job growth was weakest in October 2025 (-48,400).
There were 7,500 fewer jobs in January 2026 in Washington, DC area
Monthly change in nonfarm employment in the Washington, DC area
How does the Washington, DC area job growth in 2025 compare to previous years?
In 2026, the Washington, DC area has lost an average of 8,400 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2025 average monthly decrease of 8,300, and the lowest since 2020. The 2026 average ranks as second-worst in job growth since 2020.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 99,100 every month in 2025 to a gain of 74,600 every month in 2015.
In 2025, the Washington, DC area lost an average of 8,300 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs in the Washington, DC area, seasonally adjusted
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
