The DMV’s economy has been badly wounded in 2025. Thanks to DOGE, many thousands of jobs have been eliminated, with estimates ranging in the tens of thousands. To add insult to injury, the prospects of finding new employment are quite a bit dimmer than normal, with uncertainty about economic conditions restraining hiring and with many thousands of qualified workers chasing the diminished number of openings.
That said, the picture is not as bleak as it might seem: In both Maryland and Virginia latest unemployment figures are better than the national average, while DC’s rate, at just under 7%, is high but not catastrophic.
That’s the macroeconomic view. What matters far more is how you decide to cope with the loss of your job in this challenging environment.
Panic and depression are the two most common emotional reactions to job loss. They’re the two extreme ends of emotional reaction to a major setback. Panic triggers the body’s extreme “fight-or-flight” response (rapid heart rate, shortness of breath) and intense feelings of losing control or impending doom. Depression stimulates the opposite limbic response, engendering powerlessness and the third way we respond to threats, a “freeze” response that impedes taking action. You’re not going to be most effective in responding to this setback if you’re in either of these modes.
Here are some ways to find the happy medium, the sweet spot that will enable you to enlist your natural abilities and maximize your chances of expeditiously finding the right new job.
– Meditation
You don’t need to think of meditation as an exotic Eastern practice. At its core meditation is about being in the present moment, without judgment as to what the present moment is or isn’t. Close your eyes, focus on the feeling of slow breathing, and you’ll quickly start to feel a sense of calm. The place from which the most effective action emerges.
– Exercise
Always a good practice, exercise will stimulate the endorphins and serotonin that contribute to boosting your mood while reducing the stress-inducing cortisol hormone. And you’ll sleep better!
– Take inventory
A job loss should present an opportunity to reexamine what worked for you, and what didn’t, in your previous position.
What things did you most and least enjoy? Were you in the right role, with the right responsibilities that played to your strengths? What should you work harder at doing? Answering these questions will help you better prepare for a more successful career, not to mention improving your interview skills.
– Enlist support
Losing your job takes a huge toll on your self esteem and sense of agency, which are both necessary to enhance the effectiveness your job search. While you may feel an understandable sense of shame at being unemployed and resist reaching pout for emotional support, now is exactly the time to do that. The affection you feel from your close relationships will help rebuild the confidence that’s been sapped.
And then there’s another kind of support that you should consider – the professional support that an experienced career counselor can provide, with strategies for how to find the right opportunities and best present yourself – whether in a resume, a LinkedIn post or profile, an elevator speech, a networking communication, or a job interview. I’d relish the chance to help you “get back on the horse” and find your next job.