Employees   Employees (actual numbers, unaudited) 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Career Employees Headquarters and HQ Related Employees Headquarters 2,745 2,937 2,811 2,892 2,856 Headquarters – Field Support Units 4,213 4,876 4,455 4,429 4,527 Inspection Service – Field 2,398 2,435 2,617 2,890 2,991 Inspector General 1,123 1,108 1,155 1,159 1,147 Total HQ and HQ Related Employees 10,479 11,356 11,038 11,370 11,521 Field Employees Area Offices 809 1,079 1,047 1,316 1,281 Postmasters/Installation Heads 22,212 23,111 23,672 25,250 25,285 Supervisors/Managers 25,083 27,792 28,812 31,787 32,635 Professional Administration and Technical Personnel 4,571 5,926 6,460 8,010 8,058 Clerks/Nurses 149,562 157,168 177,842 194,907 204,305 Mail Handlers 46,596 48,650 52,954 55,812 57,882 City Delivery Carriers 183,774 192,180 200,658 211,661 222,132 Motor Vehicle Operators 7,064 7,413 8,113 8,558 8,726 Rural Delivery Carriers – Full-time 66,186 66,845 67,749 68,900 67,584 Building and Equipment Maintenance Personnel 36,032 37,403 39,531 40,248 39,948 Vehicle Maintenance Employees 4,883 4,985 5,252 5,419 5,405 Total Field Employees 546,772 572,552 612,090 651,868 673,241 Total Career Employees 557,251 583,908 623,128 663,238 684,762 Noncareer Employees Casuals 2,606 6,503 4,271 12,000 22,078 Postal Support Employees 10,471 0 0 0 0 Nonbargaining Temporary 2,259 1,910 1,659 1,119 1,244 Rural Part-Time: Subs/RCA/RCR/AUX 50,349 51,801 54,529 58,072 60,444 Postmaster Relief and Leave Replacements 9,138 11,350 11,477 12,327 12,169 Transitional Employees 13,876 16,215 17,018 18,332 5,232 Total Noncareer Employees 88,699 87,779 88,954 101,850 101,167 Total Employees 645,950 671,687 712,082 765,088 785,929 Note: The Postal Support Employees category was newly created in 2011.