The principal problem with revenue in the District, he suggested, lies in the fact that the city has not been able to recover from the 1990-1991 recession as rapidly as the suburbs did. That is true. But the fact is, the District never really recovered from the huge drop in population between 1970 and 1980, when it lost 121,000 residents, or 16 percent. The income of those moving into the District in recent years may be higher than that of people who left, but the loss of 200,000 residents since 1970 is staggering. Therein lies a major reason why the District's economy, a projected budget surplus notwithstanding, continues to struggle.
People move to the suburbs.
Businesses follow their customers and, pretty soon, other businesses follow their clients. In 1970 there were more than 19,000 manufacturing jobs in the District. Fewer than 14,000 remain. Wholesale and retail trade employment accounted for 80,000 jobs in the District in 1970. Now there are only 49,000 jobs in that category.