A survey of employers in the Washington-Baltimore indicates that employees working in the nation's capital are enjoying raises well in excess of the national average, while the city's unemployment rate rests far below the nation's average. The study, produced by the Human Resource Association of the National Capital Area, suggests the trend is due to government contractors competing for highly-skilled workers.
See "Local Workers Bringing Home Fatter Paychecks", V. Dion Haynes, The Washington Post, September 8, 2008