MINNEAPOLIS — There's a major push to staff the United States Postal Service. It's been battling a massive shortage since at least the pandemic.
In the Twin Cities, the postal service is down well over 300 letter carriers and across the state and North Dakota - it's double that.
"It is disheartening," said Manager of Operations Angela Bye. "How do we get staffed?"
Bye says the problem is hitting the Twin Cities especially hard.
"I think it's weather-related too, like who wants to go out and carry mail in the snow and freezing cold," she said.
Bye also points to a shift in remote work and a push for more work-life balance, but says the postal service can accommodate that.
She says the industry also provides jobs beyond letter carriers that can lead to a lifelong career including information technology, transportation, sales or media.
"Depending on where you want to go, we can get you there," said Bye.
"We're talking about people that have celebrated 50 years with this organization, where else can you do that," said St. Paul Postmaster Shawneen Betha.
Besides being down letter carriers, the metro area also needs some 90 clerks at a time when businesses may rely on the USPS more than ever.
Come July 31, nearly 350,000 UPS workers could go on strike, forcing companies to rely on other shippers. Supply chain experts say they're unsure they can handle the extra volume.
"It’s really hard to know how much volume these other companies can absorb," said University of St. Thomas associate professor in the Department of Operations and Supply Chain Management Kyle Goldschmidt. "I’ve seen an estimate around 20%, which would leave a lot of shipments sitting around."
The postal service, though, says it's ready.
"We're very well prepared to take that on," said Bye. "Our systems can handle all of it."
The postal service tends to hold job fairs every month. It's also opening a first-of-its-kind hiring hub in Minneapolis on August 1st. It will open another one in St. Paul later that month.
Bye says it's a way to streamline the hiring process that includes computer access, applications, helpful staff and even fingerprinting. For more information on applying, click here.