D.C., Arlington Post 4.5% Job Losses, Leading U.S. Counties Amid Federal Cuts
Updated
Updated · dc.citycast.fm · Sep 3
D.C., Arlington Post 4.5% Job Losses, Leading U.S. Counties Amid Federal Cuts
1 articles · Updated · dc.citycast.fm · Sep 3
Summary
Washington, D.C., and Arlington County each lost 4.5% of jobs from March 2025 to March 2026—the steepest county-level declines in the U.S., according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday.
Nearly 26,000 government jobs disappeared in D.C., while Arlington’s biggest drop came in professional and business services, where Brookings said many federal contractors were hit by layoffs.
Six of the 10 worst-performing counties were in the D.C. metro area, underscoring how federal job and contract cuts during President Donald Trump’s second term rippled through the region.
National employment still edged up 0.1% over the year, and Loudoun County bucked the regional trend with 2.8% growth led by construction and education.
More recent BLS data suggests the metro area added jobs after March 2026, but it still has fewer jobs than before Trump took office in January 2025.