The Postal Service’s processing and distribution operation has added thousands of employees and more than 100 package sorting machines and other pieces of equipment in preparation for this year’s holiday delivery season.
More than 5,300 precareer employees have been converted to career status and more than 15,000 temporary employees have been hired since October for processing and distribution.
Since January, processing and distribution has installed 50 new package sorting machines across the country.
“We are ensuring that we have the right staffing and equipment so that the additional workload can be processed effectively and efficiently,” said Isaac Cronkhite, chief processing and distribution officer.
USPS processed more than 13.2 billion cards, letters, flats and packages during the holiday season in 2021. That number is expected to be larger this year.
“We have been preparing for this all year. It’s on the calendar. We know it is coming and what kind of volumes to expect,” Cronkhite said. “It’s predictable, and therefore not a surprise when the workload increases.”
The Postal Service has also leased 17 temporary mail processing facilities and 71 delivery annexes.