Frustrated Montanans Wonder Why This Wait Time Is So Long

It's not a shocker that there is a job issue in Bozeman, and it's not just Bozeman—it seems to be all over the United States.

Some drive-thru restaurants still do not have their lobbies open and instead of two windows open (one for payment and one to grab your order), there is just one operating because they are still not fully staffed. Even with starting wages increasing, finding a full staff is extremely difficult.

The latest of the "staffing shortage complaints" is the postal service. Now I will say, every time I have had to use the post office, there is a bit of a line, but it goes quickly and the staff is always friendly. With that being said, I have seen some complaints about how long it is taking to get mail delivered to home addresses.

I signed up for the electronic delivery service when I was doing my address change, so I can get an email about what is expected to be delivered daily. Sometimes it is accurate, and sometimes, not so much. It's hard to see, but the top letter was mailed on 7/1 and the one below it (from the same town) was mailed on 7/13, but arriving together?

My mother recently mailed me a letter. It was something I needed in a timely manner: within a week. So she dropped it in the mail and figured I would get it in plenty of time. It was sent on July 1st, 2022.

The expected delivery was on the 18th of July, and I actually received it on the 21st. So 20 days for the letter from my mother, and 8 days for the second letter.

The post office has been having hiring issues for some time now, and listen, I get it. It's not an easy job, you have to work in all different climates and even when it is storming, it seems like we always expect to still get mail. Which is clearly not the case.