USPS staffing down 5.7% from a year ago
TweetReports filed with the Postal regulatory Commission show that as of July 17, the US Postal Service has reduced its field staff by 5.7%, or 37,454 employees from the same period last year. (All numbers cited refer to actual employees on the rolls, not authorized positions).
The largest reductions among bargaining unit employees, as in the past, have come in the clerk craft, which lost 16,023 employees, or 8.1%. City carriers were down by 5.2%, or 11,135 employees. The smaller mail handler craft lost 2,829, or 5% of its members. Career rural carriers, who are compensated on an evaluation basis, and generally earn significantly less than their city counterparts, lost just 974 employees, or 1.4%.
Supervisors, managers and administrative staffing in the field was reduced by 3,468 employees, or 8.4%. Headquarters lost 88 staff, or 3.1%.
The bad news for the USPS is that the complement reductions so far have not translated to any significant cost reductions. Thanks to salary and benefit increases, the USPS has paid out almost exactly the same amount in base salaries and benefits this year as it did in 2008. The $1 billion the agency has managed to save in compensation costs this year has come entirely from reductions in overtime. Sustaining that level of savings solely from overtime in the future will be difficult if not impossible.
August 13th, 2009 07:35
How many mgt have been reduced???
August 13th, 2009 08:08
I’ve updated the original post to include management numbers- thanks for pointing out the omission.
August 13th, 2009 11:19
Supervisors, managers and administrative staffing in the field was reduced by 3,468 employees, or 8.4%. Headquarters lost 88 staff, or 3.1%.
August 13th, 2009 15:23
UH jimmy zip…. did you not read the article. 8.4% reduction in management. Most of any craft…!!!???
August 13th, 2009 17:24
You say they saved $1 Billion on Overtime cuts, can you tell anyone the Dollar Figure on Contracting the work out to Contractors doing sub-standard work on USPS vehicles from the Vmf’s Nationwide?
August 13th, 2009 21:40
This means there were over 41000 management in the field and 2860 people at headquarters before cuts. Now 38000 in the field and 2775 at headquarters. That’s one person at headquarters for 13.7 people in the field. By comparison, there’s one manager for every 5.3 city carriers, one for every 1.6 rural carriers, one for every 4.8 clerks. If they would just have the same ratio in the field as at headquarters, they could cut over 25000 managers. Of course, if they were to cut that many in the field, they would have to cut another 1800 at headquarters. I promise you they could save a lot in compensation then.
August 13th, 2009 22:20
Mark,
The management numbers include ALL EAS employees. That includes the data entry, clerical and support employees at the district & area offices. It also includes about 7,000 – 10,000 postmasters in very small offices with 1 route or less. Most of these postmasters make less $$$ than a topped out clerk. Starting salary for a level 11 postmaster is $32,428 and tops out at $50,652.
While it is not in the news HQ is trying to get the laws changed not only for 5 day delivery but to allow the USPS to close alot of these small offices. Watch the management (EAS) numbers drop another 20% over the next few years.
August 14th, 2009 05:38
Those numbers are misleading.There are over 10,000 people at headquarters,not 3800.Don’t know how they came up with that percentage,but if you do a search on postallreporter,you can find total rolls for all crafts.All together,there are almost 60,000 people between headquarters,postmasters,and managers.Way to much overhead.
August 14th, 2009 06:30
So salary and benefit increases ate up ALL savings of reductions. I don’t recall ANY increase in my salary or benefits. Must be bonuses for the top (br)ass.
August 15th, 2009 10:03
Its all a bunch of crap.Why shouldn’t management hours be cut. If the clerks and carries hours are being reduced becauase of lack of mail and such. Then this means there is less to managed.
August 15th, 2009 21:54
typical postal math,,,adding the numbers,,,the jobs were reduced by 34,517,, not the 37,454 mentioned in the article. try adding 16,023 + 11,135 + 2,829 + 974 + 3,468 + 88 = 34,517
I have had my route adjusted more than once with math like that, haha
wonder what the other 2,937 jobs were ??
August 20th, 2009 19:22
Bull, I am a rural carrier and make far above the city carriers in my office and go home 3-4 hours earlier.
August 25th, 2009 16:12
Is there a website where you can find salary pay for postmaster by level or by zip code?