WIN Annual Reports June 2018 Midyear Report | Page 6

JOBS CAMPAIGNS
Photo by David Choy
Despite DC’s economic boom and recovery from the recession, studies show that Black
unemployment in DC remains stubbornly high at 19.5%. In high unemployment zones of the District,
like many neighborhoods east of the river and among youth and returning citizens, the rates can
be even higher. In addition to high unemployment, the wages of DC’s lowest income workers have
been stagnant or falling. WIN and Metro IAF organizers in DC are aggressively organizing to make
unemployment, wages and benefits central issues in the District over the coming years.
“ The unemployment rate for
black DC residents is more than
5.5 times that of whites . . .
It’s also higher than the national
black unemployment rate at
19.5%”
1
1 ​A Vision for an Equitable DC Report​, Urban Institute, 2016.
2018 MIDYEAR REPORT
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