Mail and Message Distribution Occupations (NOC 146)

What They Do Postal clerks calculate postage for letters, parcels, and registered mail and receive payment at sales counters/postal wickets. They also sell stamps, prepaid mail/money orders, route mail, and perform other related clerical activities. Mail sorters and mail room clerks sort, label, bag, and route mail in mail processing plants/internal mail rooms. Letter carriers sort and deliver mail, record delivery of registered mail, and collect payments of cash-on-delivery parcels. Couriers and messengers pick up and deliver letters, packages, tickets, parcels, and other items, travelling on foot or by bicycle within prescribed time periods. Door-to-door distributors deliver flyers, handbills, newspapers, and similar items to residences/businesses.

Where They Find Work —    Top Occupational Areas Transportation and warehousing 68% Information and cultural industries 9% Retail trade 8% Public administration 3% Advertising and related services 3% Finance and insurance 2% People in this group work for: Canada Post Corporation and other government departments Courier/parcel express services and other business organizations The unionization rate (64%) is above the average (32%) for all occupations. The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of Mail and Message Distributions Occupations are found in Manitoba and Nova Scotia while the lowest concentrations are in Quebec and Newfoundland.

Related Occupation(s) Recording, Scheduling and Distributing Occupations (NOC 147)

Something to Think About To enhance your professional knowledge and broaden your opportunities, consider: Assessing new office equipment/ software programs Maintaining office machinery Learning how to build and maintain customer relations

Use the "Where They Find Work" graph to target your worksearch. It may be easier to get into industries with the most people in this field. Want to work in an industry that hires fewer workers in this field? To be more marketable, check out whether you have the most up-to-date knowledge and technology skills for that industry. Check the provincial/territorial or local information (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca) for opportunities in your area.

What You Need You need some high school. To be a mail and postal clerk or mail sorter, you may need a high school diploma and some college office administration courses. With experience/additional training, you may move up the ranks to become a supervisor or facility manager. To be a letter carrier at Canada Post Corporation, you receive between two weeks and one month of training. With experience/additional training, you may move up the ranks to become a supervisor. To be a courier, messenger or door-to-door distributor, you need to be eligible for bonding and may need to be physically fit. You may be able to move into either a clerical or delivery driver position in the company and, with experience, may move up the ranks to become a supervisor. Many recent entrants have either an undergraduate university degree or a community college diploma.

Required/Related    Educational Programs* This will let you explore the program(s) of study that lead to this (these) occupation(s). Sports and Recreation (C893) Accounting (T110) Linguistics, Translation and Interpretation (U404) Biology (U620) *  These educational programs are listed in the order in which they are most likely to supply graduates to this occupation.

Useful Experience/Skills Communication skills Sorting skills Computer literacy		Useful High School Subjects English Computer Basics Social Studies Math A second language
Depending on your background, this Education, Training, and Experience info will help you to: Choose your high school courses Plan your post-secondary program Choose relevant volunteer work Decide what new skills to learn Read job ads, professional journals, and newspapers for what the industry needs and employers want. Talk to employers and employees to find out the exceptional skills and knowledge that will help you land a job.

Current Conditions Your work prospects are rated LIMITED because: Employment grew at an average rate. Hourly wages ($16.05) are close to the average ($18.07), and the rate of wage growth is above average. The unemployment rate (4%) is close to the 2004 average (7%).

Work Prospects Current   Limited   2009   Limited

Outlook to 2009 Your work prospects will continue to be LIMITED because: The employment growth rate will likely be below average. Although the retirement rate will likely be average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings. The number of job seekers will likely match the number of job openings.

Preparing for the Competition You're more likely to be hired if you're skilled in electronic information handling technology.

If you are beginning your career investigation, national outlooks will give you a good overview of trends. Ready to explore an occupation in more detail? Check provincial/territorial or local outlooks (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca).

What you can expect to make (Average Hourly Earnings ($/hour))
Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 $12.37 $11.74 25-54 $17.48 $19.76 55+ $16.81 $19.59 Overall Average for Ages (20+) This Occupation All Occupations $16.05 $18.07		Hourly wages ($16.05) are close to the national average ($18.07). These earnings are close to the average for occupations in the business, finance and administration sector and are close to the average for all intermediate occupations. These wages grew at an above-average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Your salary can be affected by your background, the company's size and benefits, and the region and setting (urban or rural). Check out salaries in your own region by seeking info from: Employees/unions/associations Employers/human resource people Training institutions and placement services Company websites Professional/trade journals

Close to the average
The unemployment rate (4%) is close to the 2004 average (7%). This rate is below the average for intermediate occupations. A low unemployment rate often means less competition for the jobs available. But you still need to have the required training and experience. A high unemployment rate doesn't necessarily mean you'll have great difficulty getting hired. But it can mean a fluctuating demand for workers, and you may experience bouts of unemployment.		Year This Occupation All Occupations 1991 9% 10% 1992 10% 11% 1993 7% 11% 1994 5% 10% 1995 6% 10% 1996 5% 10% 1997 5% 9% 1998 5% 8% 1999 4% 8% 2000 5% 7% 2001 4% 7% 2002 4% 8% 2003 4% 8% 2004 4% 7%

% of Part-time work is above average
This Occupation All Occupations Full-time 70% 81% Part-time 30% 19%		There were 101,700 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, a decrease of 1% since 1997. The percentage of part-time workers (30%) is above the 2004 average (19%) and has dropped since 1997.
When full-time work is difficult to find, look at alternatives such as contract work, consulting, shared positions, and telework.

Average
The percentage of self-employed workers is 15% compared to the 2004 average of 15% and has dropped significantly since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Self-Employed 15% 15%
Does this occupation have an above-average rate of self-employment? Consider being your own boss if you can't find work with an employer.

Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 6% 10% 25-54 68% 72% 55+ 13% 12%		The retirement rate to 2009 will likely be average reflecting the age/retirement structure of the occupation.
Look at the youngest group. A low percentage means fewer openings for brand-new workers. A high percentage means more openings for brand-new workers. Look at the oldest age group. A high percentage means positions could open up from retirements. This could be significant for both mid-career changers and brand-new workers.

Average
The percentage of women is 43% compared to the 2004 average of 48% and has stayed about the same since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Percent Women 43% 48%

This page last modified on: 2007-03-31