The D.C.-area’s unemployment rate jumped significantly in January, most likely as federal government workers and government contractors affected by the five week partial government shutdown filed for unemployment benefits.
The January data from the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor statistics trails the most recent national jobs report that showed the nation’s unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent, even with unusually weak job growth.
The Washington metropolitan area’s unemployment rate in January was 3.7 percent, up from 2.9 percent in December. It was still lower than the 3.8 percent unemployment rate in January 2018.
Baltimore’s unemployment rate also rose, to 4.1 percent in January from 3.5 percent in December.
Unemployment rates in January were lower in 199 of the 389 metropolitan areas, higher in 150 and unchanged in 40.
Twenty-two metropolitan areas had January unemployment rates of less than 3.0 percent.
Among cities with a population of 1 million or more, Nashville had the lowest January unemployment rate, at 2.7 percent. Cleveland had the highest, at 5.2 percent.
Ames, Iowa, home to Iowa State University, had the lowest January unemployment rate of all metropolitan areas, at just 1.9 percent.
The agricultural community of El Centro, California, on the Mexican border, had the highest January unemployment rate, at 18.5 percent.
