After a year of firings undermined the typical stability of the federal workforce, Fairfax County’s economic development and business leaders have championed the technology sector as a promising bet for diversifying the local job market.
That pivot will continue with the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) bringing a free tech and cyber hiring event to Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road) in Tysons tomorrow (Thursday).
More than 40 employers — from defense and national security contractors like Peraton and General Dynamics to the health care startups Somatus and Microhealth — are expected to participate in the job fair, which will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Even some public-sector employers will be present, including the Fairfax County government, Fairfax County Public Schools and the FBI.
“Northern Virginia’s economy is built on adaptability, talent, and purpose driven work,” FCEDA President and CEO Victor Hoskins said in a press release. “At a time when many people are reassessing their next step, this event is about creating real connections between skilled professionals and employers who are hiring now. Our role is to make sure opportunity remains accessible, inclusive, and visible.”
In addition to giving job seekers an opportunity to meet in person with recruiters, the hiring event will feature on-site photographers who can take free professional headshots.
The FCEDA says people of all backgrounds, from students and recent graduates to experienced professionals and federal workers looking to make a transition, are welcome to attend.
Attendees are encouraged, but not required to register in advance.
Though the FCEDA’s jobs portal is advertising more than 50,000 available positions in Northern Virginia, led by over 12,000 jobs in information technology, competition is fierce as unemployment continues to rise across the D.C. region.
A total of 65,357 residents in the District’s Northern Virginia suburbs were counted as unemployed in November, a 41% increase from 2024, according to the most recent federal data. Northern Virginia’s unemployment rate for that month was 3.7%, up from 2.6% a year before.
