New sign of possible layoffs for postal workers

A new sign that the United States Postal Service is on the verge of laying off workers to achieve a reduction in payroll costs appeared in a recent job posting.

The USPS has announced it is seeking an “RIF Administrator” who would be charged with administering the “reduction in force” programs that federal agencies must follow to eliminate jobs.

The posting, made July 15, is a sign that the Postal Service is planning for possible layoffs, something that Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe has bragged that he has managed to avoid despite eliminating 200,000 career jobs in recent years.

But with the Postal Service looking at the closing of 82 more mail-processing plants next year, there could be more workers seeking transfers to jobs than the USPS has open.