Are you a resident of Washington, D.C. and looking for a new job? D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is hosting her 10th annual Norton Job Fair, at the Washington Convention Center’s Hall C on Tuesday, July 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You need to show proof of D.C. residency to attend (either a valid D.C. driver’s license, or picture ID plus a utility bill with your address), the idea being to give D.C. residents a first crack at local job opportunities before they are advertised to the much larger numbers of job applicants from the rest of the region.

The entire D.C. metro area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, currently at 2.9 percent, but the District of Columbia itself has a much higher rate, at 5.4 percent (though that is down from 6 percent a year ago). In her post at The Hill Blog, Norton explained:

Good news that D.C. unemployment is slightly down. However, the rate is still double the region’s unemployment and new jobs that have come to the District in recent months are still disproportionately going to Maryland and Virginia residents. I hope that my job fair Tuesday will help level the playing field.

More than 100 employers will be available at the fair, including federal and D.C. government agencies, National Public Radio, Unity Health Care, 1st Choice Staffing, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, CVS Pharmacy, and Prince George’s County Emergency Medical Services. There will also be a workshop on offer from 9:30 to 11 a.m., on topics such as preparing a resume, boosting interviewing skills, and dressing for success. All D.C. residents are encouraged to take advantage of the free job fair. More details can be found at Del. Norton’s web site.

Photo of Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton at the 2007 Capital Pride Parade by yospyn