More than 150 companies are adding nearly 6,500 jobs in Fairfax County, helping to alleviate concerns about lingering unemployement in the Washington region — at least among college graduates.
Technology consultant ICF International is leading the way, adding 400 jobs at its Fairfax headquarters. Professional services firm KPMG is adding 372 jobs in the Tysons Corner area. Satellite imagery firm Geo-Eye is adding 330 jobs as it relocates to the Herndon area, and Northrop Grumman’s highly-anticipated move to Merrifield, from Los Angeles, will create about 300 jobs.
While 99 of the 154 companies are based in the U.S., some foreign giants are making a mark, too. Indian powerhouse Tata Communications is adding 20 jobs, and Japan’s Hitachi Consulting is adding 10.
“The elements that make Fairfax County’s economy and businss community so vibrant are reflected in the companies we worked with in 2010,” said Gerald Gordon, president and chief executive officer of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.
Unemployment remains high in the county, at 27,800 people in November, up from 27,000 in November 2009 but down from a high of 33,100 in February 2010.
