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Here are all the reasons the economy is limping into Memorial Day weekend | Morningstar

May 23, 2025
  • D.C. Policy Center

On May 23, 2025, Executive Director Yesim Sayin was quoted in Morningstar:

“It is hard to see any bright spots when you look at the overall economic picture,” said Yesim Sayin, executive director of the D.C. Policy Center, an independent research firm focusing on the local economy.

The city, once thought to be recession-proof, is slowing down markedly after the Trump White House engineered sweeping job cuts at the federal level.

“A recession is both the right and wrong word. It is a recession in the sense that the region’s GDP is going down,” Sayin said.

The federal government is acting as a deadweight on the local economy, she added.

But the city is not experiencing much pain because many residents still have high-income jobs. There are no sudden stoppages, just a lack of vibrancy, with many restaurants and businesses closing, she said

Read More: Here are all the reasons the economy is limping into Memorial Day weekend
Additional reading: Chart of the week: Changes to federal contracts would have outsized effect on regional economy

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D.C. Policy Center


Established in 2016, the D.C. Policy Center is a non-partisan research and policy organization committed to advancing policies for a strong and vibrant economy in the District of Columbia. Through rigorous research and collaboration, the D.C. Policy Center develops and tests policy ideas, disseminates its findings, and engages in constructive dialogue and debate.

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