Alexandria Workforce Dips Below 100,000

Alexandria's civilian workforce fell to 97,772 in September 2026, marking the 11th straight month below six figures.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Employment

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Alexandria's total civilian workforce stood at 97,772 in September 2026, with 94,680 residents employed and 3,092 seeking jobs. The city's unemployment rate was 3.2%, down from 3.3% a year earlier.

Why it matters

The workforce remains about 5% below its July 2024 all-time record of 102,864, reflecting the region's adjustment to federal downsizing and its broader economic ripple effects. Residents who left the workforce or the city during the Covid pandemic beginning in March 2020 have not fully returned.

Alexandria's September 2026 unemployment rate of 3.2% compares with 3.3% a year earlier, while the total workforce of 97,772 sits 5% below its 102,864 record set in July 2024. The source does not say whether the workforce will recover above 100,000.

The players

Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement

The Virginia state agency that compiles and publishes monthly labor force and unemployment statistics for localities across the commonwealth.

The details

Figures from the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement count Alexandria residents regardless of where they work. Northern Virginia's unemployment rate was 3.4% and the D.C. metro's was 3.7% in September 2026, with the Virginia statewide rate at 3.6%.

March 2020: Total workforce fell below 100,000 during the Covid pandemic.
March 2023: Total workforce rebounded to 100,000.
July 2024: Workforce reached its all-time record of 102,864.
September 2025: Workforce last stayed above 100,000 in a monthly report.
September 2026: Workforce stood at 97,772, below 100,000.

Economic Trajectory

Alexandria's workforce has not recovered to its pre-pandemic peak, as residents who exited during the March 2020 Covid contraction have not fully returned. The current figures show the region still adjusting to federal downsizing alongside those lingering labor force losses.

Residents seeking work in Alexandria face a labor market where 3,092 people were looking for jobs in September 2026, with unemployment at 3.2%. The workforce's gap below its record means fewer local workers are competing for openings than during the 2024 peak.

The takeaway

Monthly workforce totals can shift as residents enter or leave the labor force, so trends across several months matter more than a single reading. Readers tracking Alexandria's job market should watch whether the total returns above 100,000 in coming reports.