As elected officials race for ways to assist expected growing numbers of the unemployed resulting from COVID-19 fueled job loss, Amazon is ramping up hiring because of the coronavirus.

Ohio job seekers may need to be patient with the company’s online jobs portal, which is not reflecting all openings, largely because it has been flooded with applications.

The online retailer recently announced it would be adding 100,000 employees nationally to meet operational needs driven by spikes in online purchasing resulting from COVID-19.

And that means hiring in Ohio, which is dotted with Amazon distribution centers, including facilities in Northeast Ohio. Amazon expects 4,600 new Buckeye State jobs, according to Owen Torres, a communications manager for Amazon Operations.

But job seekers who go to Amazon’s online jobs portal may see only a fraction of the Ohio job openings.

Amazon said its online jobs portal has been overwhelmed with applications, which has led the system to show only a handful of available Ohio jobs instead of the thousands.

The job portal Wednesday afternoon showed at one point just six openings for all of Ohio.

The company said it is aware of the issue, which it said is caused by a high number of people who go through the entire application process.

Amazon said it is hiring for its Northeast Ohio sites that include Twinsburg, a small facility in Akron, and in Greater Cleveland. It is not yet hiring for the large fulfillment center being built on Romig Road in Akron.

Ohio job seekers need to periodically check the online jobs portal for openings for positions and locations they are interested in, the company said.

On its official site, Amazon pledges to "opening 100,000 new roles to support people relying on Amazon’s service in this stressful time."

Amazon will also be raising pay rates for associates across the globe.

In response to queries for more information about the Ohio aspect of that new hiring, Amazon’s Andre Woodson emailed that those seeking more information are being directed to the Amazon blog for further details.

Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, said in a message posted to the firm’s blog that as the pandemic continues, "Amazon and our network of partners are helping communities around the world in a way that very few can — delivering critical supplies directly to the doorsteps of people who need them. Getting a priority item to your doorstep is vital as communities practice social distancing, particularly for the elderly and others with underlying health issues. We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year."

Those interested in applying for Amazon positions are asked to go to www.amazon.com/jobsnow.

Beacon Journal staff writer Jim Mackinnon contributed to this report.