Unemployment in Arlington is stabilizing but remains greatly elevated compared to the end of 2024, according to new data.
With 146,571 county residents employed in the civilian workforce and 4,622 looking for jobs, June’s unemployment rate was 3.1%, according to data reported July 29 by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement.
That compares to a rate of 2.9% recorded in June 2025, but is below the 2025-26 peak of 3.5% recorded last November.
The 4,622 county residents seeking jobs represent a 44% increase from the 3,212 in December 2024, the last full month of the Biden administration. The return of Donald Trump to the White House in January 2025 resulted in attempts to downsize the federal workforce, which has created ripple effects across the regional economy.
In neighboring Falls Church, there were 7,914 residents employed in the civilian workforce in June and 294 looking for jobs, representing an unemployment rate of 3.6%. That’s up from 3.4% a year before, but down from the 4.1% recorded twice over the past 18 months.
Fairfax County (3.6%) and Alexandria (3.1%) also saw upticks from a year before.
Northern Virginia’s June 2026 unemployment rate of 3.6% represented about 1.67 million in the civilian workforce and 61,600 looking for jobs. A year ago, the jobless rate had stood at 3.2%.
Over the past year, the total workforce — employed and seeking work — has declined 2.6% across Northern Virginia. Some residents have moved out, while others departed the labor force for retirement or jobs that do not show up on the monthly reports, including self-employment and some part-time work.
Statewide, June’s jobless rate was 3.9%, representing 4.31 million with jobs and about 172,700 seeking them. A year ago, the rate was 3.5%.
Figures represent non-seasonally adjusted employment data. June 2026 figures are preliminary and are subject to revision.
Metro area’s jobless rate rises to 4.1%
For the D.C. metropolitan area, June’s jobless rate of 4.1% represented 3.46 million with jobs in the civilian workforce and about 140,000 seeking work.
The region’s jobless rate was up from 3.9% in June 2026, according to figures reported July 29 by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Unemployment rates were higher in June than a year earlier in 184 of the 387 metropolitan areas, lower in 178 and unchanged in 25, according to the new figures reported by federal officials.
The national jobless rate in June was 4.4%, essentially unchanged from a year before.
In June, Sioux Falls, S.D., had the lowest unemployment rate among metro areas, at 1.9%, followed by Rapid City, S.D., at 2%. El Centro, Calif., had the highest rate, at 17.6%.
Of the 56 metro areas with populations of a million or more, the lowest jobless rates were reported in Raleigh, N.C., and Honolulu, at 3.1% each. The highest was found in Fresno, Calif., at 7.7%.
Among all 387 metro areas, 15 had jobless rates of less than 3%, with seven reporting rates of 8% or more.
Among all metro areas, the decline in nonfarm employment year over year was highest in the D.C. region, with a drop of 2.4%. It was followed by Portland, Ore., with a decline of 2.1%.
The largest year-over-year increases in nonfarm employment were reported in the Las Vegas (+2.9%), Salt Lake City (+2.7%) and Raleigh (+2.6%) metro areas.
