On July 14, 2026, Executive Director Yesim Sayin was quoted in The Washington Times: Yesim Sayin, executive director of the nonpartisan D.C. Policy Center, said the D.C. labor market hasn’t been this bleak since the city weathered the 1991-1992 recession and slid toward bankruptcy in 1996. She pointed out that more young people are leaving than…

There are currently an estimated 22,628 infants and toddlers under age 3 (ages 0 to 2) in D.C.[1] Before children become eligible for universal pre-kindergarten at age 3, access to affordable childcare supports both early childhood development and parental participation in the workforce.[2] As D.C.’s child population declines due to fewer births,[3]…

Each year, the D.C. Policy Center’s Rivlin Initiative for Economic Policy and Competitiveness conducts its quarterly Business Sentiments Survey to gauge businesses’ experiences and expectations in the District and the broader region. We recently finished the second round for 2026. The results show that a notable share of surveyed businesses maintained pessimistic…