United States Postal Service in need of hundreds of workers in the Bay Area

The United States Postal Service is in need of more workers. There are about 600 positions that need to be filled across the Bay Area.

And the need comes after multiple carriers have been targeted and robbed for their mail keys.

On Tuesday, USPS held a Postal Service Career Fair at the Menlo Park Post Office. Jada Reese was just stopping by to mail a package but decided to take a chance and fill out an application.

"I know this is a good job you can have for a long time," Reese said after talking with a Postal Service representative. "I was told there's a lot of opportunities for career advancement. I have a pretty good relationship with the carriers in my community I figured it would be a good way to get some work experience and be connected to the community."

Reese said she's looking for a job that has the potential to become a career, and that working for USPS fits the bill.

Post Office Operations manager Riza Yumul said they don't have enough staff to work efficiently, and they're looking to fill hundreds of positions for essential employees.

"We have a lot going on. Mail handlers, clerks, even custodians and carriers we are hiring right now," she said.

Yumul said the pandemic led to the loss of some employees but they're also competing for employees with a wealth of tech companies throughout the peninsula.

Another concern for postal workers has been safety. In March, a postal worker on the 400 block of Euclid Avenue was robbed for their mail keys. USPS said the suspect didn't take any mail from the worker, but the keys can be used to open hundreds of mailboxes.

Yumul said they try to give their employees training to hopefully avoid becoming victims of mail theft.

"When we hire people, that's the first thing we do," Yumul said. "We make sure that they know about safety, that they have training. We make it a point to be with the new carriers every day for the first two weeks."

USPS said mail theft is a federal and state crime. They offer a $150,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect in these types of cases.

As for Reese, she is not going to let these incidents stop her from pursuing a career with USPS.

"I hope that my life is not going to be affected by it, but I think you have to assess risks with anything that you do," Reese said. "I think that's a fluke kind of thing."

Interested applicants can still apply online on USPS's website.