On September 24, 2026, Director of the Alice Rivlin Initiative for Economic Policy and Competitiveness, Daniel Burge, Executive Director, Yesim Sayin and the D.C. Policy Center 2026 State of Business report were quoted in City Cast DC about job losses in the District:
“The defining characteristic of D.C. is it has a lot of super educated, skilled workers moving into the District,” said Yesim Sayin, the executive director of D.C. Policy Center. But that’s starting to slow, and it “will have generational effects.”
Many [businesses] reported that it has become more difficult to find qualified candidates over the past two years. Candidates also have higher salary expectations. While it’s hard to identify the exact reason for this, the rising cost of living in D.C. could be a contributing factor, said Daniel Burge, the director of the Alice M. Rivlin Initiative for Economic Policy & Competitiveness at D.C. Policy Center.
“Generally we know that jobs and housing are two big reasons why people will leave a city,” he said.
Read more: D.C. Is Still Reeling From DOGE Cuts
Additional reading: 2026 State of Business Report: Meeting the Growth Challenge, Down 79,800 jobs: A risk to the District of Columbia’s superstar status