Washington, DC had 51,851 private-sector establishments and 521,348 private-sector jobs in the first quarter of 2024. The District’s 2024 employment base was led by government, professional and business services, and education and health services, while 2024 unemployment varied substantially by ward. The figures below combine the District’s Annual Economic and Workforce Report FY2024, the 2022 Economic Census snapshot, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ District of Columbia profile.
Contents
- Business base and size distribution
- Employment by business size
- Industries with the most jobs
- Labor market and unemployment
- Business occupations and median pay
- Economic Census activity and revenue
Business base and size distribution
Washington, DC had 51,851 private-sector establishments in 2024 Q1. That was 30.7% higher than the number of private-sector establishments in 2019 Q1. These figures measure establishments rather than unique companies, so a company with more than one local location may be represented by multiple establishments. Annual Economic and Workforce Report FY2024
The smallest establishments made up the largest part of the reported size distribution. In 2024 Q1, 39,650 establishments had fewer than 5 employees. The District also had 4,437 establishments with 5–9 employees, 3,214 with 10–19 employees, and 2,658 with 20–49 employees. Together, these reported groups show how heavily the local establishment base was concentrated among small operations.
Larger establishments were fewer in number. Washington, DC had 992 establishments with 50–99 employees, 644 with 100–249 employees, 170 with 250–499 employees, and 56 with 500–999 employees in 2024 Q1. The report also identifies establishments with 1,000 or more employees in its employment-size data, although the supplied establishment count for that category is not stated here. Annual Economic and Workforce Report FY2024
This distribution gives two useful perspectives on the District’s business landscape. The count of establishments describes how common each size group was, while the employment totals show where jobs were concentrated. A small establishment base can therefore coexist with substantial employment in larger organizations. The 30.7% increase in the private-sector establishment count between 2019 Q1 and 2024 Q1 also describes change in the number of establishments across those two quarters; it does not by itself establish how employment, revenue, or individual businesses changed over the same period.
Employment by business size
The 51,851 private-sector establishments employed 521,348 people in 2024 Q1. Employment was distributed differently from the establishment count: the smallest businesses were numerous, but many workers were employed by mid-sized and large establishments.
| Establishment size | Employees in 2024 Q1 |
|---|---|
| Fewer than 5 employees | 39,440 |
| 5–9 employees | 29,320 |
| 10–19 employees | 43,527 |
| 20–49 employees | 80,363 |
| 50–99 employees | 68,290 |
| 100–249 employees | 95,093 |
| 250–499 employees | 56,738 |
| 500–999 employees | 35,743 |
| 1,000 or more employees | 72,835 |
The 100–249 employee category had 95,093 workers, the largest employment count among the listed size bands. Establishments with 20–49 employees accounted for 80,363 jobs, while those with 1,000 or more employees accounted for 72,835. The fewer-than-5-employee category employed 39,440 people despite containing 39,650 establishments, illustrating the difference between establishment prevalence and total employment. Annual Economic and Workforce Report FY2024
Industries with the most jobs
Across the listed industries, Washington, DC had 769,400 total jobs on a 2024 annual-average basis. Government was the largest category, with 236,700 jobs, or 30.8% of District employment. Professional and business services followed with 173,100 jobs, or 22.5%. Education and health services accounted for 125,400 jobs, or 16.3%.
Other major categories were leisure and hospitality, with 77,100 jobs or 10.0%; other services, with 67,300 jobs or 8.7%; and trade, transportation, and utilities, with 30,200 jobs or 3.9%. Financial activities accounted for 25,400 jobs, or 3.3%, while information accounted for 18,600 jobs, or 2.4%.
The smaller listed sectors included mining, logging, and construction, with 14,500 jobs or 1.9%, and manufacturing, with 1,200 jobs or 0.2%. These are 2024 annual-average employment measures, not a count of private-sector establishments and not a forecast. Annual Economic and Workforce Report FY2024
Labor market and unemployment
The District’s annual-average unemployment rate was 5.2% in 2024, with 21,801 unemployed residents. Earlier annual averages were 7.9% and 30,671 unemployed residents in 2020, 4.7% and 18,484 unemployed residents in 2022, and 4.8% and 19,627 unemployed residents in 2023. The measures describe different annual periods and should not be read as a single monthly trend.
Unemployment also differed by ward in 2024. Ward 6 had the lowest annual-average rate at 3.9%, followed by Ward 2 at 4.0%. Ward 7 recorded 9.2%, and Ward 8 had the highest rate at 9.3%. These ward figures are annual averages for 2024, while the establishment and industry figures above use different periods and scopes. Annual Economic and Workforce Report FY2024
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a separate, seasonally adjusted snapshot for August 2026: the District’s civilian labor force was 401,900 people, 378,100 people were employed, and the unemployment rate was 5.9%. Because this is a monthly, seasonally adjusted August 2026 measure, it is not directly interchangeable with the 2024 annual averages. District Of Columbia Economy at a Glance
Business occupations and median pay
Business-related occupations represented a large share of Washington, DC’s workforce in 2024. Business and financial operations occupations employed 124,647 people and had an annual median wage of $103,763. Management occupations employed 108,606 people and had a $160,177 median wage.
Office and administrative support occupations employed 66,187 people, with a $56,334 annual median wage. Food preparation and serving-related occupations employed 60,102 people, with a $37,898 median wage. These measures describe occupations and their median wages, rather than the revenue or profitability of the businesses employing them.
Computer and mathematical occupations employed 52,895 people and had a $122,890 annual median wage. Legal occupations employed 44,958 people and had the highest listed median wage at $174,371. Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations employed 37,395 people and had a $92,457 median wage.
Educational instruction and library occupations employed 37,371 people, with a $77,764 annual median wage. Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations employed 34,105 people and had a $101,362 median wage. Protective service occupations employed 32,441 people, with a $67,111 median wage. All of these occupation and pay figures refer to Washington, DC in 2024. Annual Economic and Workforce Report FY2024
Economic Census activity and revenue
The 2022 Economic Census and Census of Governments snapshot provides a different view of District business activity. State and local governments were the largest listed employment sector, with 160,491 employees in 2022. Accommodation and food services employed 73,927 people, health care and social assistance employed 64,796, and professional, scientific, and technical services employed 51,373.
Average pay per employee in business, professional, labor, political, and similar organizations was $115,381 in 2022. This category and measure are defined by the Economic Census source and should not be treated as the median wage for every business occupation in the District.
The Economic Census counted 1,277 District establishments classified as legal services in 2022. Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries generated $1.7 billion in District revenue in 2022. Real estate and rental and leasing revenue increased 22.2% from 2017 to 2022.
These Economic Census measures use 2022 data and classifications that differ from the 2024 annual-average labor and occupation measures. Their value is in showing business activity, employment, establishments, and revenue from a separate census framework rather than extending the 2024 figures into an unsupported estimate. District of Columbia State Economic Snapshot: Select Statistics From the 2022 Census of Governments and 2022 Economic Census