NEW YORK, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Donald Trump administration's sweeping layoffs of federal employees already appear to be pushing up joblessness in Washington, D.C., and an economist projects they'll tip the city into a recession this year, USA Today reported on Thursday.
"The developments are rocking an area of the country that traditionally has served as a bastion of steady employment and economic stability through slowdowns or downturns that have roiled other parts of the country," noted the report.
Nationally, layoffs have remained historically low and forecasters expect solid economic growth this year with little chance of recession, it added.
In the week ending Feb. 15, 1,695 Washington, D.C., workers applied for unemployment insurance for the first time, up slightly from 1,682 the previous week and 619 during the comparable week a year ago, according to the Labor Department's non-seasonally adjusted figures. ■
