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D.C. Municipal Regulations (Last Updated: September 13, 2017) |
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Title 10. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT |
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SubTilte 10-A. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN |
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Chapter 10-A2. FRAMEWORK ELEMENT |
Section 10-A204. ECONOMIC CHANGES 204
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204.1On the surface, Washington’s economic picture would appear to be the envy of most cities. There are more jobs than residents, and nearly three times more jobs than households. In 2005, there were some 740,000 jobs in the District, an increase of about 30,000 jobs since 2000. Wages in the region are among the highest in the nation. 204.1
204.2With these statistics, one might assume that every District resident who is able to work is gainfully employed. Yet the city’s unemployment rate hovers between 6 and 9 percent and is consistently double the rate for the region as a whole. Many District residents do not have the skills to fill the white-collar jobs that drive the city’s economy. More than 70 percent of the jobs in the District are filled by workers who live in Maryland and Virginia. In fact, some “importing” of workers from the suburbs is essential to the District economy-even if every DC resident in the labor force were employed in the city, we would still need over 400,000 additional workers to fill the city’s jobs. 204.2
204.3This imbalance causes a number of problems. The most often cited problem is the District’s inability to tax the incomes of the 500,000 non-residents who commute to the city each day. This daily migration is also accompanied by traffic congestion, air quality problems, and millions of hours of lost productivity. But perhaps the more profound problem is the regional income divide. As Figures 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 indicate, the District today is a city divided by income, education, and employment. “Vision for Growing an Inclusive City” concluded that bridging the income divide was the single biggest challenge facing the District as it planned for its future. 204.3
204.4Figure 2.2: Unemployment in 2002
204.5Figure 2.3: Persons 25+ Without College Degrees in 2000
204.6Figure 2.4: Poverty Rate in 2000
204.7Figures 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5 and other demographic tables in this document are generally based on 2000 Census data. It should be noted that students residing in the District on April 1, 2000 (census day) are counted as residents of the District rather than residents of their home state. Consequently, data on poverty, age, and other variables may be skewed in census tracts containing (or adjacent to) universities. The District has accounted for these anomalies within the Comprehensive Plan, and should tailor its anti-poverty, economic development, and similar programs accordingly. 204.7
204.8From a regional perspective, the District’s employment outlook is positive. Because Washington is the seat of the federal government, it has been insulated from the economic cycles that have affected other regions of the country. The city never had a large industrial base, so it was spared the large-scale job losses experienced by places like Baltimore and Philadelphia during the 1970s and 1980s. It was not dependent on technology jobs, so it was spared the downturns affecting places like San Jose and Austin during the early 2000s. Even the downsizing of the federal government in the 1990s was accompanied by a rise in procurement spending that kept the Washington economy strong. 204.8
204.9But a resilient economy alone does not close the “skills gap” that exists between the needs of local employers and the abilities of many District residents. Future job growth is expected to be concentrated in the services sector, including the business, legal, engineering, management, educational and social service fields. The Economic Development Element of this Plan emphasizes the importance of closing the skills gap by improving education and job training so that more District residents can fill jobs in these professions. 204.9
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