Federal Government Shutdown Frequently Asked Questions
1. If I filed a claim during the federal government shutdown, can I resume my claim where I left off?
Washington Metro’s Unemployment Rate at 4.5 percent
Date Released:
(Washington, DC) - The District of Columbia’s Department of Employment Services (DOES) reported today that the preliminary September job estimates show an increase of 3,700 jobs for a total of 1,084,800 jobs in the Washington, DC-MD Metropolitan Division. The private sector decreased by 400 jobs, while the public sector increased by 4,100 jobs. The Washington, DC- MD Metropolitan Division's not seasonally adjusted September 2026 unemployment rate is 4.5 percent, which is 0.5 percentage points lower than the revised August 2026 unemployment rate of 5.0 percent.
District of Columbia Unemployment Rate at 5.6 Percent in September
Date Released:
(Washington, DC) – The District of Columbia’s Department of Employment Services (DOES) reported today that the seasonally adjusted preliminary unemployment rate was 5.6 percent in September 2026, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the revised August 2026 rate of 5.7 percent.
LMI Publications
Date Released:
LMI Publications
Division of State Initiatives Partnerships Unemployment Insurance Benefits Systems Modernization
The Department of Employment Services modernized Unemployment Insurance Benefits Systems is Live and Now Available!
District of Columbia Unemployment Rate Improves to 6.1 Percent in February
Date Released:
(Washington, DC) – The District of Columbia’s Department of Employment Services reported today that the seasonally adjusted preliminary unemployment rate was 6.1 percent in February 2022; this was a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the revised January 2022 rate of 6.3 percent. The rate has decreased by 1.3 percentage points from 7.4 percent in January 2015, when Mayor Muriel Bowser took office.
American Job Center Reopens to Aid District Recovery
Date Released:
(WASHINGTON, DC) – As part of Washington DC’s reopening, the Department of Employment Services (DOES) will begin providing in-person services at the American Job Center at 4058 Minnesota Avenue NE, Washington DC 20019. Washingtonians will be able to register for appointments to receive help with unemployment insurance, paid family leave, and workforce services.
Office of First Source Compliance
First Source Law
Workforce Intermediary Establishment and Reform of the First Source Amendment Act of 2011, effective February 24, 2012 (D.C. Law 19-84).
The First Source Law requires all beneficiaries of contractual agreements totaling $300,000 or more to enter into a First Source Employment Agreement with the Department of Employment Services.
For more than 30 years, First Source has been one of the driving forces in the District’s strategy to reduce unemployment by ensuring that D.C.