DC Department of Employment Services

What DC Department of Employment Services does

The DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) is the District of Columbia's lead workforce development agency, operating under the Mayor's authority and coordinating with the U.S. Department of Labor. It administers the District's unemployment insurance program, paid family leave, workers' compensation, and a portfolio of workforce training and employer services through its American Job Center network, the DC Infrastructure Academy, and satellite offices. DOES serves a four-way constituency: DC residents seeking employment and training, DC employers recruiting and upskilling workers, federal workers filing UI claims, and District youth through programs such as the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP), which engages roughly 15,000 participants per year.

The agency's core operating platforms include DC Networks (case management and job-bank portal), FORRS (financial operations and reporting), LCPtracker (prevailing-wage and apprenticeship compliance), SIDES (UI cross-match with state systems), and the recently modernized UI benefits system integrated with ID.me for identity verification. In 2024 it launched Career Ready DC, described as an AI-powered career exploration platform, alongside Career Coach DC — a $3.4 million individualized coaching program with scholarships. The agency also runs the $100 million DC Infrastructure Academy expansion, a $1.2 million tech-talent initiative, and a Dislocated Worker Program funded by a $12.09 million USDOL grant.

DOES is funded through a mix of DC appropriations, federal USDOL formula and discretionary grants, employer taxes (UI and workers' comp), and program-specific allocations. It administers approximately $1.2 billion in funds annually and operates with roughly 273 employees. Revenue mechanics are institutional (appropriations and grants) rather than commercial; the agency's strategic posture is set by DC government priorities, federal workforce policy, and District labor-market conditions rather than by competitive pricing or market share.

Name

DC Department of Employment Services

Legal name

District of Columbia Department of Employment Services

Website

https://does.dc.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The DC Department of Employment Services administers the District of Columbia's unemployment insurance, paid family leave, workers' compensation, and workforce training programs, serving DC residents, employers, federal workers, and youth through its American Job Center network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Human Resource Programs (9231)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Labor, Employment Standards & Workforce Development Administration (BPAIABAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Unemployment Insurance & Employment Support Benefits (BPAIAKAB)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Unemployment insurance administration
• Job placement programs
• Labor standards enforcement
• Employment training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DC Department of Employment Services is the District of Columbia's official government agency responsible for workforce development, unemployment compensation, paid family leave administration, and labor standards enforcement. The agency administers unemployment insurance benefits, operates American Job Centers for job matching and career services, runs workforce training programs (including the DC Infrastructure Academy and apprenticeships), and manages compliance programs such as First Source Employment and Workers' Compensation. Services are provided free of charge to DC residents, job seekers, and employers operating in the District.

Product overview

DC Department of Employment Services operates a comprehensive workforce development ecosystem with multiple integrated programs. The agency provides a modernized Unemployment Insurance Benefits System (single portal for claims, appeals, and certifications), American Job Centers for employment services, and specialized training academies including the DC Infrastructure Academy. Youth employment is supported through the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program. The agency administers Workers' Compensation, Paid Family Leave, Trade Adjustment Assistance, and Work Opportunity Tax Credit programs. First Source Employment ensures DC residents priority for government-assisted jobs. Rapid Response assists with layoffs, while Apprenticeships and Job Bank Services connect workers to employment opportunities. Programs are managed through integrated systems including DC Networks, FORRS, LCPtracker, and SIDES E-Response.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP): Summer employment program for District youth providing jobs and academic enrichment
• DC Infrastructure Academy
• American Job Center
• DC Career Connections
• Project Empowerment
• Career Coach DC
• ESSP (Employer Self Service Portal)
• Career Ready DC

Products and services

• Unemployment Insurance Benefits System Modernized system providing a single portal for all unemployment insurance claim activities including filing claims, checking status, filing appeals, and weekly certifications, with integrated ID.me identity verification and fraud prevention. Designed for DC residents who become unemployed through no fault of their own.
• American Job Centers Comprehensive employment service centers offering businesses and job-seekers a full array of employment services including job matching, skills training, and work experience. Operates through four physical locations across DC wards.
• DC Infrastructure Academy Training, screening, and recruitment program for residents to fulfill infrastructure industry needs. Has trained over 4,600 Washingtonians in utilities and construction industries, with $100M expansion underway on Spingarn campus in northeast DC.
• Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program (MBSYEP) Youth employment program providing skills training, work experience, academic enrichment and life skills training to young people. Applications open for ages 9-13 with March Madness certification events. The program celebrated 15,000 participants and surpassed $1.2M in scholarships in 2022.
• First Source Employment Program Workforce intermediary program requiring beneficiaries of District contracts over $300,000 to enter First Source Employment Agreements ensuring DC residents receive priority consideration for new jobs. Managed through FORRS and LCPtracker systems.
• Workers' Compensation Program Program processing claims and monitoring benefit payments to injured private-sector employees, mediating disputes, administering special/second injury fund, approving lump-sum settlements, and assessing penalties.
• Apprenticeships Office of Apprenticeship, Information and Training (OAIT) program combining on-the-job learning and classroom instruction for highly qualified occupations, with compliance hotline for construction project reporting.
• Rapid Response Layoff response and dislocated worker program providing economic recovery services through a comprehensive approach to identify, plan for, and respond to layoffs. Funded by $12,090,836 USDOL-ETA grant.
• DC Career Connections Work readiness program providing out-of-school and unemployed young adults with opportunities to gain valuable work experience.
• Project Empowerment Program providing unemployed residents with opportunities for education, training, and subsidized employment placements.
• Trade Adjustment Assistance Program providing benefits and support including job training, income support, job search/relocation allowances, and wage supplements to workers displaced due to international trade.
• Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Tax credit program for employers hiring from target groups including veterans, ex-felons, and welfare recipients. Currently in hiatus effective January 1, 2026 pending Congressional reauthorization.
• Foreign Labor Certification Program administering H-2B foreign labor certification in partnership with State Workforce Agencies.
• Paid Family Leave Program providing paid leave benefits - six weeks for medical care, eight weeks for newborn care, expanded to 12 weeks per year for private sector employees.
• Labor Statistics Labor market information providing employment and wages data, labor force statistics, economic indicators, and population demographics for DC and metropolitan area.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained over 4,600 Washingtonians at DC Infrastructure Academy for infrastructure industry careers
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• California Employment Development Department (EDD): California's state agency administering unemployment insurance, workforce development, and labor market information. Direct structural peer to DC DOES as a state-level labor and employment administration agency with the largest UI program in the U.S.
• New York State Department of Labor: New York's state labor agency overseeing unemployment insurance, workforce development, and labor standards. Comparable to DC DOES as a direct state-level counterpart providing the same core portfolio of UI benefits, job matching, and apprenticeship programs.
• Texas Workforce Commission: Texas's state workforce agency administering UI, workforce training, and child care services. Direct functional peer to DC DOES with similar scope of unemployment compensation, workforce development, and employer compliance services.
• Illinois Department of Employment Security: Illinois's state UI and workforce development agency. Direct peer to DC DOES providing unemployment insurance administration, job matching through American Job Centers equivalents, and workforce training programs.
• Florida Department of Commerce (formerly DEO): Florida's state workforce and economic development agency. Direct state-level peer administering reemployment assistance (UI), workforce development, and labor market statistics comparable to DC DOES functions.
• Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry: Pennsylvania's state labor agency overseeing UC (unemployment compensation), workforce development, and labor standards. Direct peer with comparable scope to DC DOES including UI benefits, apprenticeship programs, and employer services.
• Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development: Massachusetts's state labor umbrella agency overseeing UI, workforce development, and labor standards. Direct peer comparable to DC DOES in providing integrated employment services with strong apprenticeship and youth employment programs.

Regional players

• Maryland Department of Labor: Maryland's state labor agency serving a neighboring jurisdiction with comparable UI, workforce development, and labor standards functions. Regional peer relevant for cross-jurisdiction benchmarking on DC metro labor market dynamics.
• Virginia Employment Commission: Virginia's state agency administering unemployment insurance and workforce services. Regional peer in the DC metropolitan labor market with overlapping employer and job seeker populations served by DOES.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Department of Labor (ETA): Federal Employment and Training Administration that funds and oversees state-level UI/workforce programs like DC DOES. Broad incumbent providing the federal policy framework, funding, and oversight (e.g., $12.09M Dislocated Worker grant) that state agencies implement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DC Department of Employment Services