Headline Roundup • February 17th, 2025

Unemployment, House Listings Rise in Washington, DC

Economy And Jobs,Unemployment,Housing And Homelessness,DOGE,Washington DC,Federal Government

Summary from the AllSides News Team

Nearly 4,000 workers in Washington, D.C. have filed for unemployment since President Donald Trump took office.

The Data: According to CNBC (Center bias), “Filings rose to 1,780 for the week ending Feb. 8, a 36% increase from the prior week and more than four times around the same period in 2024.” There's also been a rise in house listings in Northern Virginia and Maryland. “Falls Church City, Virginia, experienced a 78.6% surge, followed by a 68.8% jump in Fairfax City, a 50.5% increase in Alexandria City, and a 33.5% uptick in Montgomery County, Maryland,” according to ZeroHedge (Lean Right). Housing prices are being slashed as people look to sell their properties.

For Context: The spike comes as the White House is laying off probationary federal employees en masse, firing approximately 200,000. About 75,000 employees have accepted Trump's buyout offer.

How The Media Covered It: The rise in unemployment and its effects on the housing market were covered by outlets on the right and center. Outlets on the left haven't covered the most recent data at the time of writing.

Featured Coverage of this Story

A flood of federal workers leaving their jobs likely won't impact the national labor market — yet

Business Insider

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News

Economists say Trump's buyout offer alone isn't enough to impact the national job market.

When you factor in the total cuts to federal spending, a larger negative effect is possible.

Around 65,000 federal workers have reportedly accepted the buyout offer to leave their jobs.

The Trump administration's buyout offer to federal employees likely won't affect enough workers to have a immediate impact on the national job market, economists say.

More than 65,000 federal employees accepted the deferred-resignation offer, according to the White House, which promises full pay and benefits through September to...

Open on Business Insider

"Washington Recession Begins": DC Active Home Listings Soar, Jobless Claims Spike As DOGE Drains Swamp

ZeroHedge

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News

Bright MLS, one of the largest multiple listing services in the US, just recently cautioned real estate agents and industry professionals: A toxic mix of a "new Presidential administration and higher-than-expected mortgage rates contributed to a slow start to the 2025 housing market" across the Washington, DC, metro area, plus surrounding counties in Northern Virginia and Maryland. Now, the floodgates have opened—active listings are soaring, and jobless claims are spiking across the region, as the writing's on the wall: an economic downturn is just ahead for the federal bureaucracy as 'DC Swamp' draining accelerates.

Let's start with the DC housing market and surrounding...

Open on ZeroHedge

Unemployment spikes in Washington, D.C., as Trump and Musk begin efforts to shrink the government

CNBC

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Unemployment spikes in Washington, D.C., as Trump and Musk begin efforts to shrink the government

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

News

President Donald Trump’s moves to fire thousands of federal government workers have coincided with a surge in jobless claims in Washington, D.C., that could get worse as the efforts intensify.

Since Trump has taken office, nearly 4,000 workers in the city have filed for unemployment insurance as part of a surge that began at the start of the new year, according to Labor Department figures not adjusted for seasonal factors.

Open on CNBC

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