State risk detail
Employment and income stability in District of Columbia
Employment and income stability measures job market resilience with unemployment rates, volatility, labor force participation, median earnings, and industry concentration. More volatility means less predictable pay and higher income shocks.
Risk score
38
/ 100
Risk metrics
- Unemployment rate6.5%
- Unemployment volatility (12-mo)0.1%
- Labor force participation71.4%
- Employment rate (16+)66.7%
- Median earnings (full-time, year-round)$79,471
- Earnings trend (YoY)+5.7%
- Industry concentration (HHI)0.12
Data status: Available
Scope: State baseline | Source: ACS 2023 5-year | 2023
Top drivers in this score
Unemployment rate
6.5%
Risk pressure percentile: 98
Industry concentration (HHI)
0.12
Risk pressure percentile: 98
Unemployment volatility (12-mo)
0.1%
Risk pressure percentile: 36
How this compares
Approximate percentile: 38 of 100
Coverage and confidence
City-level metrics were unavailable, so this score falls back to state baseline data.
Why it matters
In District of Columbia, Lower stability can mean more missed bills, less savings, and heavier reliance on credit during downturns.
What we measure
- Unemployment rate
- Unemployment volatility (monthly)
- Labor force participation
- Employment-to-population rate
- Median earnings (full-time, year-round)
- Earnings trend (YoY)
- Industry concentration (HHI)
Key sources
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year
- County Business Patterns (industry concentration)
City comparisons for this risk
City directory →Common questions
What is unemployment volatility?
It captures month-to-month swings in unemployment, which signal how stable local hiring conditions are.
Why does industry concentration matter?
Heavy reliance on a small number of industries makes local incomes more sensitive to sector shocks.
Why include labor force participation?
It reflects how many adults are engaged in the workforce beyond the unemployment rate alone.
Related risks
State overview →Household financial stress
Household financial stress reflects how close households are to the edge. It blends income, poverty exposure, housing cost burden, and safety-net reliance to show where families have less cushion for unexpected bills.
Debt and credit pressure
Debt and credit pressure tracks how leveraged households are and how often credit stress shows up. Higher subprime share, delinquency, and revolving utilization indicate tighter credit access and greater reliance on borrowing.
Cost of living exposure
Cost of living exposure focuses on housing costs relative to income. Rising rents, higher monthly housing costs, and elevated rent-to-income ratios can squeeze budgets even when incomes rise.