Washington DC and Northern Virginia was recently voted by Forbes.com as one of the best places to start a business or career. This area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and whether you're looking to check valves on products being built for Navy contracts or work in finance there are definitely opportunities to be had for smart hardworking people. For those interested in working in the area, here are some of the facts about the local economy and the city's top industries.

Alexandria's economy is greatly influenced by the city's close proximity to the nation's capital and the majority of the people who live and work in the area are either employed by the Federal Government, United States Military or one of the hundreds of companies that contracts out their products or services to government organizations. If you have a background in working with your hands to one organizing personal finances like gold bullion bars stocks than your skills could be an asset to one of these firms. Some examples of the companies located in the city are the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Institute of Defense Analyses, and the Center for Naval Analyses.

There are also many opportunities in the area for those that are looking to work for a national charity or trade associations. Instead of spending your days working on a job site with a slurry mixer you could help raise money to build in a foreign country with organizations like the Salvation Army or United Way. The national headquarters of Catholic Charities, USA is also located here in Alexandria.

Over fifty percent of the people working in Alexandria are in the management and professional services sector. Another twenty percent are working in sales or within an office and ten percent are employed in the service industry. While you won't find a lot of manufacturing firms working with a tubing cutter or construction companies, there is also work available in healthcare, education, and social assistance.

Also, about six percent of the people working in Alexandria are self-employed and statistics indicate that this number will grow over the next ten years. If you're thinking of becoming your own boss to sell products online or work with active exchange traded funds you will find much support in this city. The Alexandria Economic Development Partnership is designed to help grow the city's business and has many resources available for entrepreneurs who are thinking of located their firm in the area. On this website you will find information on everything from financial incentives to a guide on how to start a small business. This website also lists the contact information of all of the AEDP staff members if you have any further questions.