How many people take up the roles?

Tyler,

Getting into the postal service is extremely competitive, especially here in San Antonio. Because it is a Federal job, they give preference to hiring veterans. And, there are a LOT of veterans in San Antonio. I would imagine there might be better opportunities in cities that are not so heavily military-oriented. There are some contract-carrier positions. These people are not actually gov't employees. We have some around the outskirts of Bexar County - I believe in places like Marion, St. Hedwig, and other rural areas.

I would expect that long-term, the Postal Service would need fewer employees. Packages are delivered by Amazon, UPS, FedEx, and many others. Real "mail" is almost a thing of the past. Few people write letters anymore. Instead they communicate electronically. Many of us have opted out of "paper" bills, bank statements, copies of car insurance policies, etc. The bulk of the mail seems to be marketing material - catalogs, advertisements, etc.

It's not all bad news though! You could consider working for one of the package delivery services. Or, ask yourself what it is about the post office job that appeals to you so much, and then look for other jobs that offer similar type work. Is it the driving, the independence, the hours, the pay/benefits, the customer service? I think once you identify these factors, you will be well on your way to exploring other opportunities.