How many jobs were added in Washington, DC last month?
Refreshed monthly
Washington, DC gained 1,700 jobs in July 2026. Those figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' state 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 state has averaged about 232 new jobs per month. These figures are often revised in later months as more complete data rolls in.
+1.7K
month to month change in number of jobs (July 2026)
July 2026's gain of 1,700 jobs was the second consecutive month of positive job growth in Washington, DC. Monthly job growth was down from the 2,200 new jobs in June 2026.
During the latest five year period (August 2021 to July 2026), Washington, DC gained jobs in 24 out of 60 months. July 2026 had the 14th-highest job growth during this period. The highest gains during this period occurred in October 2021 (+8,300) while job growth was weakest in October 2025 (-17,600).
There were 1,700 more jobs in July 2026 in Washington, DC than the previous month.
Monthly change in nonfarm employment, August 2021–July 2026, seasonally adjusted
Which Washington, DC sectors and industries had the best and worst job growth in July 2026?
The three supersectors with the highest job growth in July 2026 were accommodation and food services, private educational services, and professional, scientific, and technical services. Accommodation and food services added 1,500 jobs. Private educational services gained 500 jobs, while professional, scientific, and technical services added 300. The remaining supersectors either posted smaller gains or lost jobs during the month.
The three lowest-performing supersectors were health care and social assistance, administrative and support and waste management and remediation services, and retail trade. Health care and social assistance lost 600 jobs in July 2026, while administrative and support and waste management and remediation services lost 300 jobs and retail trade lost 100 jobs.
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The federal government sector gained 300 jobs during July 2026.
Change in jobs since previous month with circle size representing number of sector jobs in Washington, DC (July 2026)
How has Washington, DC's job growth changed over time?
In 2025, Washington, DC lost an average of 3,467 jobs every month. That's lower than the 2024 average monthly increase of 0, and the lowest since 2020. The 2025 average ranks as second-lowest in job growth since 2007.
When excluding the two pandemic-affected years of 2020 and 2021, job growth ranged from a loss of 3,500 on average every month in 2025 to a gain of 1,600 on average every month in 2015.
In 2025, Washington, DC lost an average of 3,500 jobs every month.
Average monthly change in the number of jobs, seasonally adjusted
Monthly job growth, by metro area
Metro areas where at least one of its primary counties are within Washington, DC
| Metro area | Change in jobs | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | +4,100 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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.
