Job cuts at the U.S. Postal Service

In a world where a junior high school advertises an opening for a janitor and receives 700 applications...the job market isn't good.

Ordinarily there is a certain degree of security in working for a government agency. Not any more.

The news is that the U.S. Postal Service wants to cut its huge losses by letting 150,000 employees -- that's more than the population of Hampton, Va. -- take early retirement.

Early retirement is just one aspect of the Postal Service's plans. Many employees will simply lose their jobs.

The Postal Service says it is trying to save $100 million annually through a series of measures that include closing offices and eliminating positions.

Postal district-level administrative positions are being cut by 15 percent, or about 1,400 people. Another 1,400 mail processing supervisors and management positions are being eliminated at almost 400 facilities nationwide.

And six offices -- in Lake Mary, Fla.; North Reading, Mass.; Manchester, N.H.; Edison, N.J.; Erie, Pa., and Spokane, Wash. -- will close.

According to the postal facts on the USPS website, the USPS has is the nation’s second largest employer and has 656,000 career employees. If all 150,000 take early retirement, that will cut the job force down to 506,000. Three months ago the USPS offered early retirement, but only 9,000 employees took advantage of the offer at that time.

For those who are lucky enough to keep their jobs, they may be doing less of those jobs.

Postmaster General John Potter told the House that the post office may run out of money by the end of the year if it does not get aid...

...The postmaster said he will pay all the salaries, but that other bills might just have to wait. He also asked that mail delivery drop to five days per week.

This wouldn't be the first time that the mail schedule was altered. Mail was delivered seven days a week until 1912. Sunday was removed as a delivery day in deference to churches. For one month in 1957, Saturday delivery was halted due to low funds.

So 150,000 employees are being offered early retirement. 2,800 jobs will simply disappear. Six offices will be permanently closed.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds...but the economy will.