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New unemployment claims in Virginia more than double

The number of Virginians filing unemployment benefits claims for the first time last week totaled more than 25,000, more than double the state’s initial claims for standard benefits the week prior.

New filings in D.C. and Maryland fell.

Nationwide, the Department of Labor reports 787,000 new filings for unemployment benefits, down 3,000 from the previous week. The four-week average of initial claims is now 819,000 — 19,000 less than the four week average during the previous week.

As of Jan. 2, 5 million Americans were receiving standard state unemployment benefits, down 126,000 from the previous week. The Labor Department does not distinguish between those voluntarily ending their unemployment aid or those whose benefits have run out.

On a seasonally-unadjusted basis, 922,072 new claims for unemployment benefits were filed last week, a 9.2% increase from the previous week.

Below are the initial claims for unemployment benefits, unadjusted, for D.C., Maryland and Virginia for the week ending Jan. 2:

District of Columbia:

Week ending Jan. 2: 1,335

Week ending Dec. 26: 1,655

Maryland:

Week ending Jan. 2: 10,672

Week ending Dec. 26: 13,629

Virginia:

Week ending Jan. 2: 25,170

Week ending Dec. 26: 11,890

The Labor Department posts weekly initial unemployment claims by state online.

Opening arguments set to begin in Meta’s federal trial over child harms

Oakland, Calif. (AP) — Opening arguments are set to kick off Tuesday in a pivotal trial for Meta Platforms in a California federal court. Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are seeking extensive financial damages plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. Twenty-nine states sued the tech giant in 2023 over child safety and privacy — the other 25 will go to trial later. The company also faces lawsuits in state courts. The lawsuit accuses the social media giant of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features that get children addicted to its platforms. It also argues that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law. “This week, we’re in court with the largest consumer protection lawsuit in American history. We’ll show a jury that Meta concealed what it knew about the harm its products cause young people because looking away was more profitable,” said Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman in a statement.
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