Industry Spotlight: District of Columbia

With all eyes currently focused on the coming vacancy in the White House, many may have overlooked the vast number of job opportunities available in the District of Columbia.

Job seekers looking to change locations should keep the nation's capital on their radar - here's why:

Office Lobby(ist): Professional and business services
Perhaps one of the most steady industries in the area when it comes to employment, the professional and business services sector boasts a 2.4 percent job growth rate as recently as April 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Washingtonian believes this field will double over the next few decades. Currently there are roughly 740,000 who work in this industry, and Steven Fuller, a professor at George Mason University familiar with the local economy, expects that 1.5 million will find employment by 2044.

Take the Beltway in: Leisure and hospitality
The leisure and hospitality industry is growing rapidly in the area. The BLS reported that the industry employs around 325,000 and is hiring at yearly rate of 3.4 percent.

Growth in the sector is vastly outpacing Fuller's expectation of 384,000 employees by 2044. The Washingtonian believes the field will become a staple in this region due to the highlevel of business travel that goes on.

Job-finding fathers: Government
Unsurprisingly, one of the largest employers in D.C. is none other than the federal government. Nearly 700,000 currently find work in this area, which is growing slowly but steadily at 1.3 percent over the past year.

According to the Washington Post, D.C. lawmakers recently passed a law mandating $15 minimum wage in the region, which gives a wage boost to seemingly every industry in the area. Job seekers looking to instill change at both the local and federal level will find no better place to do so.

(Electoral) college: Education and health
This industry is also blazing a trail of growth based on Fullers' predictions. The professor had it pegged at 472,000 employees by 2044, but the BLS reports that almost 425,000 are already working within the sector.

"An entry level administrative role in the Education or Health sector is a great path to growing a career," says Jaci Pulice, Senior Corporate Recruiter with Beacon Hill Staffing Group. "These roles are hands on and often involve a blend of administrative duties and project support. This exposure gives recent college graduates the chance to gain industry-relevant skills and also find their niche in an organization. We have seen candidates start as program admins and years later see them in leadership roles on specialized teams."

The Pan American Health Organization is just one of the many medical organizations and institutions within the area, according to Forbes. Through the combination of being a major travel destination and a hub for a number of large universities, those looking for employment in the industry will have an easy time finding it.

Sweetening the pot
D.C. plays host to an unemployment rate well below industry standards. Latest BLS data pegs is at just 3.5 percent, and it's on a trend of falling even further. Other industries doing well in the region include mining, logging and construction, financial services and the trade, transportation and utilities sector.

Forbes reports that the median household income in the area totals at $90,000. This, coupled with the fact the median home value is roughly $388,000, makes the region a prime destination for job seekers at any level in their professional career.

This content is brought to you by the Marketing Team at Beacon Hill Staffing Group.