President Donald Trump’s federal job cuts have coincided with a surge in unemployment claims in Washington, D.C. Nearly 4,000 claims have been filed since January, pushing total filings up 55% over six weeks. Washington, D.C., had an unemployment rate of over 5% in December 2024, one of the highest in the U.S. The national jobless rate was above 4% in December before dipping to 4% in January.