The number of Alexandria residents counted as unemployed in June was at the highest level since March and stood 36% higher than at the start of the second Trump administration, according to new state data.
A total of 95,925 city residents were employed in the civilian workforce, with 3,120 looking for work, resulting in a jobless rate of 3.1% in June.
New figures were reported July 29 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
The unemployment rate was little changed from the 3% of June 2025, when 3,073 city residents were looking for work. But the number of residents seeking jobs was well above the 2,288 in December 2024, the last full month of the Biden administration.
The return of President Donald Trump in January 2025 brought strong efforts to prune the federal workforce, which has spilled over into the broader regional economy.
In June, unemployment rates were up year over year in Arlington (to 3.1%), Falls Church (3.6%) and Fairfax County (also 3.6%).
Northern Virginia’s June 2026 unemployment rate of 3.6% represented about 1.67 million in the civilian workforce and 61,600 looking for jobs. A year ago, the jobless rate had stood at 3.2%.
Over the past year, the total workforce — employed and seeking work — has declined 2.6% across Northern Virginia. Some residents have moved out, and others departed the labor force for retirement or jobs that do not show up on the monthly reports, including self-employment.
Statewide, June’s jobless rate was 3.9%, representing 4.31 million with jobs and about 172,700 seeking them. A year ago, the rate was 3.5%.
Figures represent non seasonally adjusted employment data. June 2026 figures are preliminary and are subject to revision.
Metro area’s jobless rate rises to 4.1%
For the D.C. metropolitan area, June’s jobless rate of 4.1% represented 3.46 million with jobs in the civilian workforce and about 140,000 seeking work.
The metro area’s jobless rate was up from 3.9% in June 2026, according to figures reported July 29 by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unemployment rates were higher in June than a year earlier in 184 of the 387 metropolitan areas, lower in 178 and unchanged in 25, according to the new figures reported by federal officials.
The national jobless rate in June was 4.4%, essentially unchanged from a year before.
In June, Sioux Falls, S.D., had the lowest unemployment rate among metro areas, at 1.9%, followed by Rapid City, S.D., at 2%. El Centro, Calif., had the highest rate, at 17.6%.
Of the 56 metro areas with populations of a million or more, the lowest jobless rates were reported in Raleigh, N.C., and Honolulu, at 3.1% each. The highest was found in Fresno, Calif., at 7.7%.
Among all 387 metro areas, 15 had jobless rates of less than 3%, with seven reporting rates of 8% or more.
Among all metro areas, the decline in nonfarm employment year over year was highest in the D.C. region, with a drop of 2.4%. It was followed by Portland, Ore., with a decline of 2.1%.
The largest year-over-year increases in nonfarm employment were reported in the Las Vegas (+2.9%), Salt Lake City (+2.7%) and Raleigh (+2.6%) metro areas.
Image via Tim Gouw/Unsplash
