700,000 Seasonal Workers To Be Hired This Holiday Season, Say Experts

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Just in time for the holiday season, employers are ramping up their staff.

Experts say there are at least 700,000 expected open jobs that need to be filled.

UPS held about 170 hiring fairs across the country last week.

The event, called "Hiring Blitz," aimed to bring in 100,000 seasonal workers.

One applicant says she has been searching for a job for over a year and was hired on the spot.

"I'm happy with it because over time they pay real great," said Lakwanja Bell. "I certainly hope so that over time it turns into a full-time job."

UPS says over the last three years, more than a third of its seasonal package handlers have been hired for permanent positions.

The company is also offering perks like health benefits that would typically go to full-time employees.