First-time claims for unemployment benefits increased by 6.2 percent in Floyd County from August to September, however the number was down 20.8 percent from September of a year ago.

Some 633 Floyd County citizens filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits in September. A first-time claimant is someone who has not filed for unemployment insurance benefits during the past 12 months.

The Georgia Department of Labor also reported on Thursday that Rome added 400 jobs from September of 2011 to the same month this year.

Initial claims dropped from August to September in Bartow, Polk counties but were up in Chattooga, Gordon, Walker, Whitfield and Catoosa counties.

Rome Mayor Evie McNiece said that she considers the fact that initial claims are down and jobs are up over a year ago as a small indication of better times ahead. “It’s taken a long time to even get to the point where we can talk about jobs being available so it’s not an overnight success story,” McNiece said. “We just need to continue the progress that we have made in Rome, celebrating the small victories each time.”

She pointed out that Lowe’s is starting to hire for its new distribution site on Ga. 140 at Ga. 53 in Floyd County and Foss Manufacturing will be hiring soon for positions. “It’s a better trend than a downward trend,” McNiece said.