U.S. Job Growth Slows in July; D.C. Metro Unemployment Rises to 5%

August 1, 2025

The U.S. economy added only 73,000 jobs in July, marking the third consecutive month of sluggish growth and the weakest three-month period since 2010 outside of the COVID pandemic. While the national unemployment rate remained at 4. 2%, the Washington D.C. metropolitan area saw its unemployment rate climb to 5% despite adding 4,300 jobs overall.

Who is affected

Job seekers and workers across the United States
Residents of the Washington D.C.-Maryland Metropolitan Division
Black, Hispanic, and Asian workers facing varying unemployment rates
Long-term unemployed individuals (1.8 million people unemployed for 27+ weeks)
New entrants to the job market
Health care and social assistance workers
Federal government employees

What action is being taken

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is releasing monthly employment data
The D.C. Department of Employment Services is tracking local unemployment figures
Health care and social assistance sectors are actively adding jobs
Employers are increasing wages, with average hourly earnings rising by 12 cents to $36.44
Previous job reports are being revised to reflect more accurate employment figures

Why it matters

The three-month period of May-July represents the weakest job growth outside of COVID since 2010
Significant demographic disparities exist in unemployment rates, with Black workers facing nearly double the rate of white workers
Despite job growth in some sectors, long-term unemployment increased by 179,000
The federal government continues to lose jobs, down 84,000 since January's peak
Previously reported job numbers were significantly overestimated, with May and June figures revised down by a combined 258,000 jobs
The data suggests potential economic challenges ahead according to social media commentary

What's next

The next national employment report, covering August 2025, will be released on Friday, September 5.

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer