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DC-area unemployment rate down (but it’s not as low as in this Iowa town)

By Jeff Clabaugh

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WASHINGTON — Unemployment rates in September fell in 308 of the nation’s 388 metropolitan areas, with the jobless rate lower in both the D.C. region and Baltimore.

The Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics says the unemployment rate in the D.C. metro area in September was 3.3 percent, below the national average of 3.7 percent, and down from 3.5 percent in August.

Baltimore’s September unemployment rate was 4.0 percent, down from 4.4 percent in August.

The lowest unemployment rate in the nation continues to be in Ames, Iowa, just north of Iowa’s capital of Des Moines, and home to Iowa State University. The unemployment rate in September there was just 1.4 percent.

The highest unemployment rate in September was in the agricultural community of El Centro, California, near the Mexican border, at 19.3 percent.

Among cities with a population of 1 million or more, Minneapolis retains the title of lowest big city unemployment rate, at just 2.2 percent in September.

The highest big city unemployment rate in September was in New Orleans, at 4.8 percent.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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