Washington DC leads America in unemployment rate for 3rd straight month

"The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Washington, D.C., was the highest in the nation for the third straight month, according to new data released Tuesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. D.C.'s jobless rate reached 6% in July, a reflection of the mass layoffs of federal workers, ushered in by President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, earlier this year. An overall decline in international tourism - which is a main driver of D.C.'s income - is also expected to have an impact on the climbing unemployment rate in the District."

"Since the beginning of Trump's second term, federal workers across government agencies have been either laid off or asked to voluntarily resign from their positions. Those actions have drawn litigation across the federal government by labor unions and advocacy groups. In July, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Trump administration plans to downsize the federal workforce further, despite warnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees will be out of their jobs."

Washington, D.C.'s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 6% in July, the highest in the nation for the third consecutive month. Mass layoffs of federal workers, initiated by President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, are a primary driver of the rising jobless rate. A decline in international tourism, a major source of D.C. income, is also expected to contribute to higher unemployment. Neighboring Maryland and Virginia saw modest increases to 3.4% and 3.6%, respectively. Federal layoffs since the start of Trump's second term have prompted litigation, and the Supreme Court recently cleared further workforce downsizing. Unemployment payments to federal workers rose from $2.01 million in April to $2.57 million in June. The DC Fiscal Policy Institute warns layoffs will worsen the Black-white unemployment ratio. National unemployment stood at 4.2%, with South Dakota at 1.9%.

Read at Fortune