USPS spokesman says to expect more rural post office hours to be cut early next year

Rural post offices continue to see their hours cut as the U.S. Postal Service looks for ways to cut costs. And in rural remote areas in Alaska, chances are high that many post offices' hours will be significantly cut, Casey Grove reports for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

"Nationally, the list of post offices identified as those facing reduced hours grew to more than 13,000," said USPS spokesman Ernie Swanson, Grove writes. "Of the roughly 200 post offices reviewed in Alaska, about 160 offices were identified as locations where hours might need adjustment, he said."

"Of those, 44 post offices already open fewer than eight hours per day had their hours increased, Swanson said," Grove writes. Around 10 did not have a change in hours, and hours were reduced for about 40 of them, Swanson said. In January 2015 the Postal Service may reduce hours for another 60 or 70 post offices. "Surveys of the offices and community meetings have already been conducted."

Swanson told Grove, “Chances are, they’re going to be reduced. We just don’t want to reduce hours of operation during the holiday mailing season because that’s obviously our busiest time of the year. So that’s why we’re putting it off until January at the earliest.” (Read more)