USPS to host Hazard job fair for rural carrier associates

USPS is bringing its hiring push to Hazard with a job fair aimed at filling rural carrier associate slots that help keep mail, packages and prescription deliveries moving in Perry County’s outlying communities. The event is set for Tuesday, June 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hazard Post Office, 201 Black Gold Boulevard, giving local job seekers a chance to meet postal staff without leaving the county.

The rural carrier associate position pays $21.89 per hour plus some benefits. That is a higher starting wage than earlier USPS local hiring notices that listed RCA pay at $20.38 an hour, a sign the Postal Service has been pushing compensation upward as it recruits for delivery work that can be difficult to staff.

USPS says applicants should be prepared for a process that often begins online, including creating a candidate profile and, for many entry-level jobs, completing the Virtual Entry Assessment. The Postal Service generally requires applicants to be at least 18 at the time of appointment, or 16 with a high school diploma. Other requirements can include a criminal background check, drug screening and medical assessment, and a safe driving record when the job involves driving.

Rural carrier associates deliver and collect mail in rural areas on weekdays, weekends and holidays, and may need to use a personal vehicle if USPS does not provide one. The work can also include selling stamps, supplies and money orders. USPS says RCAs may be eligible for health benefits and later promotion to a career opportunity, making the role a possible entry point into a larger postal career.

The local hiring effort comes as USPS says it is actively hiring for full-time, part-time and seasonal work across more than 2,000 job functions agencywide. The agency describes itself as the second largest employer in the United States, and in Perry County the stakes are immediate: steady rural staffing helps determine whether residents in harder-to-reach areas get prescriptions, bills and packages on time. Filling the Hazard positions would keep more of that payroll and buying power close to home while supporting service in the communities that depend on Hazard as a center.