Government employees

Once Recession-Proof, D.C. Feels the Pain From Federal Workforce Reductions

Formerly tax-supported workers are discovering the uncertainties the private sector faces every day.

J.D. Tuccille | 9.28.2026 7:00 AM

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(Illustration: Midjourney)

The Washington, D.C. area has long had a reputation for being both wealthy and recession-proof, based on money forcibly extracted in the form of taxes from people living productive lives elsewhere in the United States.

That may no longer be the case. Downsizing of the federal workforce concentrated in the DMV area—the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland and Virginia—has hit many residents hard, and some are considering leaving or have already done so. While it's not nice to wish troubles on anybody, there's nothing wrong with introducing government employees to the same risks and uncertainty that participants in the private sector face every day.

You are reading The Rattler from J.D. Tuccille and Reason. Get more of J.D.'s commentary on government overreach and threats to everyday liberty.

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Federal Workforce Reductions Hit the D.C. Area

"Federal workforce reductions have rattled the local economy of the Greater Washington area, long anchored by government employment," Gallup reported last week. "More than half of DMV residents (55%) say they or someone in their household has been negatively impacted by federal job cuts, including 66% of those living in DC and 62% in Arlington County and Alexandria."

Those affected include people dismissed from jobs with the federal government, as well as others—including employees of nominally private federal........

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