Alexandria’s total workforce remained below 100,000 residents for the 11th month in a row in September, with some city residents moving into retirement or nontraditional jobs — or leaving the local area entirely.
The city’s total civilian workforce stood at 97,772 in September, with 94,680 employed and 3,092 seeking jobs, according to figures reported Oct. 28 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
Alexandria’s recently reported unemployment rate was down from a year before and on the lower end of what has been seen citywide during the past year.
But like much of the rest of Northern Virginia, there also has been an exodus in the total number of city residents with jobs.
Alexandria households are feeling a greater impact of federal government workforce reductions than the D.C. regional average, according to a recent regional survey.
The report released last Thursday (Sept. 24) from Gallup and the Greater Washington Community Foundation, titled “Voices of the Community: DC, Maryland, Virginia,” incorporated research on federal government disruptions on the region’s residents.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) got a firsthand look at Alexandria-based nonprofit Cornerstone Craftsman Tuesday morning (Sept. 15).
Spanberger made expanding workforce programs for children a part of her Growing Virginia Plan when she ran for governor. She toured the space and met with Cornerstone Craftsman’s stakeholders, including Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey, Alexandria City School Board Chair Chris Harris and Clark Mercer, chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
Alexandria’s jobless rate was stable year over year in new data but remains elevated compared to levels recorded before the Trump administration’s federal government downsizing began.
A total of 96,600 city residents were counted as employed in the civilian workforce in July, with 3,150 seeking jobs, according to figures reported Sept. 2 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
Alexandria has seen a drop in citywide employment since the start of the second Trump administration.
Total employment reported in the city by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the first quarter of 2026 was 79,000, down 2.6% from the first quarter of 2025. Updated figures were reported Aug. 28.
Alexandria is still making a showing on the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies list, but none of the companies are appearing near the top of the ranking.
Inc. came out with its annual ranking of America’s fastest-growing companies Tuesday (Aug. 11). A dozen Alexandria companies — seven in the city and five with addresses in Fairfax County — made the cut in 2026.
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.
As the number of Alexandria residents counted as unemployed dropped below 3,000 for the first time in more than a year, the city’s jobless rate reached its lowest level since April 2025, according to new state data.
A total of 96,006 Alexandria residents were counted in the civilian workforce for the month, with 2,888 seeking jobs, according to figures reported July 1 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
Alexandria’s unemployment rate in April was its lowest in nearly a year, but the region still faces ongoing headwinds in keeping both jobs and workers in place, according to a panel of experts.
With 96,031 city residents counted in the civilian workforce and 3,088 looking for jobs, the city’s unemployment rate of 3.1% in April was the lowest since 3% in June 2025, according to figures reported June 3 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
The number of Alexandria residents among the ranks of the unemployed stayed above 3,000 for the 11th consecutive month in March, according to new state data.
The 3,333 Alexandrians reported as seeking work in March was up 14.8% from 2,902 a year before, according to figures reported May 19 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
