OHIO — From competitive sign-on bonuses to store discounts, employers across the nation are offering up major perks to attract seasonal employees ahead of the busy holiday shopping rush. 

Retailers expect strong holiday sales. The consulting firm KPMG predicts a 7% hike in consumer purchases compared to 2020.

Finding added workers for the holidays could pose a challenge. Dr. W.C. Benton Jr., a professor at Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, said the current level of competition for holiday workers is unprecedented.

"It’s a sellers market right now, that’s what it is. It’s going to be tough for a long time," said Benton.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics states there was a record 10.9 million job openings during the month of July.

"Everything is adjusting right now from COVID and many businesses have suffered, especially the retail industry, the hotel industry and all of these industries are trying to protect themselves with a thin labor market," said Benton.

Amazon is also on a hiring spree and not just for the holidays. On Tuesday, the online retail giant announced a plan to hire 9,000 employees in the state of Ohio alone for full and part time jobs.

"The need for that is to meet customer demand. Our growth in the state of Ohio has continued throughout this year and has continued moving forward, so we are looking to hire for full and part time regular role, they are not seasonal roles and they all offer great things," said Jessica Pawl, public relations representative for Amazon.

Amazon is offering up major perks for new employees with starting pay averaging $18 an hour, comprehensive benefits on the first day and fully paid college tuition for employees who have worked there three months or more.

Whether you’re searching for full-time, part-time or seasonal work, you won't have to look far for your pick of an employer.