@daniel-burge
Director of the Rivlin Initiative at the D.C. Policy Center. Analyzing economic, demographic, and migration trends shaping D.C. and the broader region. #EconSky | #PolicySky | www.dcpolicycenter.org | @dcpolicycenter.bsky.social
"Investor demand for D.C. is uneven. Surveys suggest that interest in the D.C. metro area has been relatively muted. Furthermore ... Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) exposed to D.C. assets are underperforming compared with national REITs." 4/n
"Business demand for D.C. is mixed. Private sector establishments in the District have grown faster in number since 2020, and the business landscape has shifted toward smaller businesses...However, entrepreneurial interest...has fallen since the pandemic..." 3/n
"Employer and worker demand for D.C. is weak. Since the pandemic, the District’s nonfarm employment growth has lagged the nation. Average real wages in the District have also fallen, and a smaller share of workers in the D.C. metro area are physically working in the District." 2/n
"Resident demand for D.C. is fragile. The District’s resident population has nearly recovered from its decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. International migration has driven population growth in recent years, but this source of growth remains vulnerable to stricter immigration policies..." 1\n
State governments are central to housing reform: they build infrastructure, allocate funding & set regulatory standards. But most states lack the policy infrastructure to support needed change.
@dcpolicycenter.bsky.social chimes in with some solutions.
www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications...
🌟 In our recently published report, "Is the District of Columbia still competitive?," researchers @daniel-burge.bsky.social and @yesimsayin.bsky.social provide 13 recommendations to improve D.C.'s economic vibrancy.
➡️ Read more: www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications...
"Investor demand for D.C. is uneven. Surveys suggest that interest in the D.C. metro area has been relatively muted. Furthermore ... Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) exposed to D.C. assets are underperforming compared with national REITs." 4/n
"Business demand for D.C. is mixed. Private sector establishments in the District have grown faster in number since 2020, and the business landscape has shifted toward smaller businesses...However, entrepreneurial interest...has fallen since the pandemic..." 3/n
"Employer and worker demand for D.C. is weak. Since the pandemic, the District’s nonfarm employment growth has lagged the nation. Average real wages in the District have also fallen, and a smaller share of workers in the D.C. metro area are physically working in the District." 2/n
"Resident demand for D.C. is fragile. The District’s resident population has nearly recovered from its decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. International migration has driven population growth in recent years, but this source of growth remains vulnerable to stricter immigration policies..." 1\n
Don't have time to read the full report? Read the one-page summary of the report here: www.dcpolicycenter.org/wp-content/u...
👏 We're thrilled to release "Is the District of Columbia still competitive? Waning interest after COVID-19 and how D.C. can reverse the trend."
📊 @daniel-burge.bsky.social and @yesimsayin.bsky.social focus on revealed preferences to explore D.C.'s vibrancy.
➡️ Read more: ow.ly/1oT850XBsmJ
🗓️ On 12/12, join the DC Education Research Collaborative—in partnership with @dcpublicschools.bsky.social, @urbaninstitute.bsky.social, D.C. Policy Center, and Georgetown University—to learn about research on Career Development Opportunities in DCPS.
➡️ Register today: www.urban.org/events/explo...
🌟 Recently, Executive Director Yesim Sayin testified before the @councilofdc.bsky.social on workforce education.
📊 She focused on disparities among D.C.-born residents versus those who moved to D.C. as adults and making investments to expand success.
➡️ Read more: ow.ly/mFyn50XAFQA
🌟 Last week, D.C. Policy Center Deputy Director @cfcoffin.bsky.social testified before @councilofdc.bsky.social at the adult workforce education hearing.
👩💻 Her testimony focused on D.C.’s adult public charter schools and their ability to improve economic mobility.
➡️ Read more: ow.ly/jMgU50XxuYT
Don't have time to read the full report? Read the one-page summary of the report here: www.dcpolicycenter.org/wp-content/u...
Our new report examines whether the District of Columbia remains a place that residents, workers and employers, businesses, and investors find attractive. The findings suggest that the District faces multiple headwinds. Read the full report here: www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications...
🏘️ We recently published "Strengthening state-level policy for growing housing supply."
🌟 The report explores the possibility of a national network that collaborates on state-level housing policy innovations.
➡️ Read more: ow.ly/mbPW50Xj4Kq
"[T]he D.C. region’s performance relative to the other metro areas...varies...Following the March 2001 and December 2007 recessions, the D.C. region performed comparatively well, while it performed less well after the July 1990 and February 2020 recessions." www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications...
🦇 This week at the D.C. Policy Center: October 31, 2025
➡️ Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more: dcpolicycenter.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...
🎒 In 2023-24, 56% of D.C. high school students were chronically absent. Where do D.C.'s schools go from here?
📊 Our latest report uses OSSE data to highlight key findings on absenteeism in @dcpublicschools.bsky.social and public charter schools.
➡️ Read more: www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications...
🏘️ Work from home continues to be a massive shift in the labor market.
👩💻 But work from home trends vary widely among those born in D.C. and those who moved here as adults, with other differences emerging based on educational attainment.
➡️ Read more: www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications...
🌟 We are thrilled to have been awarded the Best Implementation Award from @pienetwork.bsky.social for our work on High-Impact Tutoring with @dccharters.bsky.social , @edforwarddc.bsky.social , @empowerk12.bsky.social, and @dcpave.bsky.social!
➡️ Read more: ow.ly/CfBh50X97m7
"[R]emote work remains concentrated among D.C. residents with higher levels of educational attainment."
www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications...
📊 The 2025 Q3 round of the Business Sentiments Survey asked D.C.-area business leaders about the effects of federal actions.
📉 The findings highlight growing pessimism toward the local, regional, and national economies.
➡ Read more: https://ow.ly/hbAH50X8qfV
📊 The 2025 State of Business Report showed weak economic conditions D.C., highlighting the need for investments in growth.
📉 "Private establishment growth in [D.C.] slowed between 2023 and 2024, increasing by just 1.6 percent."
➡️ Read more: www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications...
🏘️ Invest in vibrancy by expanding the supply of housing, improving public infrastructure, and revitalizing downtown to attract and retain innovative residents, workers, and businesses.
📋 Modernize governance by simplifying permitting, regularly reviewing regulations, and embedding economic impact analysis into policymaking.
🏫 Foster university-linked innovation by supporting research commercialization, expanding innovation infrastructure, and reforming tech transfer processes.
👩💻 Diversify the District’s economy by cultivating emerging industry clusters and aligning workforce training with future-facing skill needs.