KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Stores across the region are starting to beef up their sales to get you in the door, but expected low numbers means there aren't as many employees inside.

At West Town Mall there are sale signs in nearly every window, but you’ll find very few “Now Hiring” signs.

Across the state, companies posting temporary jobs are down by almost half starting at the first of October as compared to last year.

In Knox County, there are actually four more companies that posted temporary jobs with the department of labor, but that just shows how many companies are hiring, not how many job positions are available.

There are plenty of good deals as you walk through the mall, and stores hope you make your holiday purchases with them.

Gap employee Pam Smith says, “It will continue through Christmas we hope, but usually it starts with this last weekend and continues from there.”

But in anticipation of low holiday shopping numbers, many stores are not hiring as many seasonal employees.

Pam says, "We're kind of in a hiring freeze because we have people already on our staff that aren't getting the hours they need so its really not fair to them if we hire other people."

So Pam will work extra hard at Gap during the holiday season.

There are some stores have that hiring signs up, though.

Express store manager Lauren Luthan says, “We weren't allowed to hire as many holiday associates."

Luthan is at least hiring a few, and with a sign in the window and even a table for you to fill out that application, she's hoping to fill the open spots.

Lauren says, "It's kind of been rough because we lose a lot of our staff because they go to school at UT and they go home for the holidays."

But some of the applicants are not college students.

Lauren says, "We've had some more career people apply, looking for that extra pocket money, mostly a discount for Christmas shopping as well as themselves."

We'd like to know if you're looking for that second job -- whether it be seasonal or not.

Email Heather Haley at heather.haley@wvlt-tv.com and share your job hunting story with her.

Maybe she'll tell your story and help you get that much-sought-after job here in East Tennessee.