By MetroNews Staff in News | January 13, 2016 at 11:54AM

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services division, headquartered in Harrison County, is having its request for more staffers to perform background check answered.

Even before President Obama’s executive actions to increase background checks tied to gun purchases, the agency claims the number of checks they were performing was already on the rise.

“The workload of the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System has seen a steady increase over the past seventeen years, with December 2015 being the highest month on record for background checks,” Stephen Fischer, Jr., spokesperson for the FBI, wrote in a statement.

As a result, more than 230 additional NICS examiners and other staff will be hired over the next two years to assist with the operation.

This will add to the workforce of approximately 2,500 working at the CIJS facility located off I-79 in Clarksburg.

An upgrade in technology for the NICS is on the way as well, according to Fischer, as they continue to work with other federal, state, local, and tribal agencies to improve the accuracy of background checks.

“The FBI will continue its commitment to making the NICS process run as smoothly and efficiently as possible,” Fischer said.

NICS would be able to process background checks 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to “improve overall response time and improving notification of local authorities when certain prohibited persons unlawfully attempt to purchase a firearm,” according to the White House.

To apply for one of the open positions, visit