Section 10-A702. POLICIES AND ACTIONS ED-1 DEFINING OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE

 

702.1The District economy is underpinned by a handful of “core” industries, including government (particularly federal government), education, professional services, administrative support, membership associations, tourism, and health care. These seven sectors account for three-quarters of the jobs in the city and distinguish the District’s economy from the more diverse economies of the surrounding region and nation. Economic development strategies must explore ways to sustain these industries while leveraging them to attract new businesses and jobs. Diversifying the economic base can expand job opportunities for residents and can help the District fare better during economic downturns. 702.1

 

702.2The city’s economy is dominated by the government sector. More than one-third of the jobs in the city are public sector jobs, with the federal government accounting for approximately 28 percent of total employment and local government jobs with District of Columbia agencies accounting for approximately five percent. The government is also directly or indirectly responsible for many of the District’s private sector jobs. This has always been the case in Washington, but has become even more so since the federal downsizing of the 1990s. As government employment declined during the 1990s, private employment growth was fueled by government outsourcing and contracting. 702.2

 

702.3Table 7.1 shows the District’s top 20 private industry sectors in 2004 using 3-digit NAICS codes. These 20 industries represent 57 percent of all jobs in the city, and 87 percent of the private sector jobs. 702.3

 

702.4Table 7.1: 20 Largest Private Sector Industries in the District of Columbia, 2004 702.4

 

http://planning.dc.gov/planning/frames.asp?doc=/planning/lib/planning/2006_revised_comp_plan/7_econdevelopment.pdf.

 

702.5The District’s largest private sector industry—accounting for more than one in five private sector jobs—is Professional and Technical Services. This category includes lawyers, architects, engineers, and consultants. The second largest category, Membership Associations and Organizations, includes the many industry, trade, and interest groups in the city. Close behind are Administrative and Support Services, which include all manner of services supporting the office sector, from secretaries to janitors. Other key sectors are Educational Services (8.3%) and Hospitals (5.2%). The tourism “cluster” includes Food Services and Drinking Places, and Accommodation, which together account for over 10 percent of private sector employment. 702.5

 

702.6The number of jobs in the District has been growing at the rate of about one percent a year since 2000, with a net gain of 32,000 jobs between 2000 and 2005. According to the District Department of Employment Services, and research organizations like the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University, this rate of growth will continue for the next 10 years. About 7,000 new jobs a year are anticipated through 2015. Beyond 2015, the pace is expected to slow to about 5,000 new jobs a year. Based on available data, nearly all sectors of the economy are projected to grow during the next decade. 702.6

 

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The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.