Initial unemployment claims are down
Floyd County-based payroll jobs are up in October reports.
The GDOL reports Floyd County-based payroll jobs are up in October.
Initial claims for unemployment benefits were down in Floyd County from September to October and down by an even larger percentage when compared to October of a year ago. The first of two monthly Department of Labor reports for October also shows that metropolitan Rome added 100 jobs to local payrolls as compared to October of a year ago.
“We are happy with lower unemployment insurance claims and happier still that jobs are continuing to grow in our community,” said Rome Floyd Chamber President Al Hodge.
Floyd County had 216 residents for first time claim for jobless benefits in October. A first time claimant is someone who has not sought unemployment benefits in the preceding 12 months. That was down from 288 who filed in September and 313 who filed in October of 2016.
The biggest drop in claims came in the manufacturing sector, which reported 35 fewer claims in October. The administrative and support services sector, which includes people placed through employment agencies, also had a significant decline of 21 claims in October.
Bartow County showed a slight increase from 183 in September to 193 in October, Chattooga County also had a slight increase from 28 to 33 over the month, Gordon County was also up from 137 to 147 initial claims, Polk County had a decline from 108 to 98, Walker County was also down from 92 in September to 80 in October, however, Whitfield County was up with 435 claims in September to 464 in October.
The Georgia Department of Labor also reported that Floyd County-based companies had 41,300 people on their payroll, though they are not all residents of Rome and Floyd County. That was up from 41,200 in October of last year.
Hodge said he’s getting mixed signals from potential employers, both domestic and international, as it relates to the political scene in Washington.
“Definitely we are hearing positives regarding fewer regulations and we’re hearing uncertainty about trade,” Hodge said. “We are hearing interest regarding potential tax changes and we are hearing some uncertainty about major infrastructure discussions that have taken place, but have not produced results.”