Around this time last year, the U.S. Postal Service was looking to hire about 500 seasonal workers. It needs about 100 more this time — a mix of entry-level and temporary holiday employees.
"The more packages you order, you know, the more volume we're going to get. And that's why we need a little bit more people to get home these packages that everybody's ordering," said Kevin Nakaoka, a local USPS operations manager.
New this year is a vaccine mandate for federal workers. However, because the Postal Service is a quasi-governmental agency, postal workers do not fall under that category — though COVID shots are highly recommended.
But workers will have to comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations expected out this week regarding vaccines and testing at businesses with at least 100 employees.
Nakaoka said there are a variety of postal jobs available on all islands. They're looking for 525 new hires on Oʻahu, 60 to 70 on Maui, about 75 on Hawaiʻi Island, and about 20 on Kauaʻi.
"Kauaʻi is one island we seem to have the hardest time hiring. For whatever reason, that one is always a challenge," he said.
The pay ranges from $18.01 to $20.66 an hour, plus 25% for cost of living. Training lasts the first three weeks for any mail carrier, he said.
For more information on applying, click here. This interview aired on The Conversation on Nov. 2, 2021
