Losses could top $20 billion in two years. The post office has seen a surge in demand for package shipping, even as regular first-class mail has dropped. Postal Service says it lost $5.1 billion last year as a weak economy and increased Internet use drove down mail volume. But that's not Amazon's fault. Postal Service’s financial straits could disrupt daily mail delivery, Postal Service may get more freedom to raise stamp prices, Dog attacks of U.S. postal workers highest in three decades, WATCH LIVE: Congress holds joint session to confirm Electoral College vote, WATCH: Raphael Warnock speaks on Georgia Senate runoff, Trump insists that Pence can decertify results, Former defense secretary urges top brass to resign or resist questionable Trump orders, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter won’t attend Biden’s inauguration, No winners yet in close Georgia Senate runoffs as vote count continues, Georgia counting votes in runoffs that decide Senate control, Grammy Awards shift to March due to pandemic conditions, Eric Jerome Dickey, bestselling novelist, dead at 59. Revenue during the quarter increased 1.4% to $17.40 billion. Overall, the post office had operating revenue of $65.2 billion in fiscal 2012, down $500 million from the previous year. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) crates sit on the floor at the Brookland Post Office in Washington, D.C., U.S. No customer data was stolen in a recent data breach, USPS officials say. It pleaded for more freedom to raise stamp prices to help keep pace with consumer demand for ever-quicker deliveries from online shopping. While the ballot controversy is new, the financial problems are not. The agency is anticipating a loss of $13 billion in revenue this fiscal year due to the crisis and another $54 billion in losses over 10 years. Post Office. Jan 05 Nevertheless, the post office has managed to significantly decrease losses since last year. There have been attempts to measure how many post offices there need to be by population count. USPS’s total unfunded liabilities and debt ($143 billion at the end of fiscal year 2018) have grown to double its annual revenue. With the holiday season approaching, Brennan said, the Postal Service added hours to include early morning and evening package deliveries and was expanding service on Sundays. In 2019, USPS made $514 million more in revenue than it did in its previous fiscal year, thanks to increases in postage rates and its package delivery business. That positive cash flow came despite a large reported net losses — $7.5 billion the most recent nine months, up from a net loss of $5.9 billion in the year earlier period. The waste, fraud, and inefficiency of DOD far exceeds the operating losses of the Post Office. “These numbers are beyond troubling,” said Art Sackler, manager of the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, a broad trade group that includes mailers such as Amazon and the National Retail Federation. The Postal Regulatory Commission will issue a decision in the coming weeks that could give the Postal Service more flexibility to raise prices beyond the rate of inflation, marking the biggest change in its pricing system in nearly a half-century. It reported a net loss for the year of $3.9 billion, $1.2 billion more than its loss in the previous year.It also lost money in each quarter in FY 2018. From fiscal year (FY) 2007 through FY 2018, the USPS’s net losses totaled $69 billion. The control of its operating cost structure less so. Please check your inbox to confirm. The annual losses the post office … The United States Postal Service (USPS; also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, ... At which, PMG Potter testified that by the year 2020, the USPS cumulative losses could exceed $238 billion, and that mail volume could drop 15 percent from 2009. Investors, for instance, can expect parcel-shipping rates to rise further as the post office tries to limit losses by controlling what it can. Jan 06 Revenue came to $69.6 billion, down from $71.5 billion last year. Benefits are not the only issue. Post Office Counters Ltd was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Post Office corporation in 1986. * As of September 30, 2019 **Mail bearing postage stamps — bill payments, personal correspondence, cards and letters, etc. More On This Topic Australia Post today announced group revenue for first half of $3.8 billion, up four per cent year-on-year. As planned, the Postal Service reduced its debt level during 2019 by $2.2 billion, finishing the year with $11.0 billion in debt outstanding. Jan 05 A wildcat strike broke out in February and March and resulted in revenue losses of R100m. Few if any Congress members want to have post offices in their districts closed. The battle over the current financial state of the USPS is, among its most important aspects, whether millions of Americans can vote by mail. The session was also dominated by the fiscal 2019 year results, which showed a net loss more than double the $3.9 billion loss recorded in fiscal 2018. This marks 13 years of consecutive losses for the USPS, totaling $77.8 billion. U.S. The post office lost $153 million last year and $276 million in 2018. This reduction allows the Postal Service to continue to reduce interest costs. It has lost money in each of the past 13 years. The controllable loss for the year was $2.0 billion, an increase of $1.1 billion. Shipping and package revenue jumped 6.6 percent, compared with the same period last year. Continue Reading Below Total net loss was $8.8 billion in 2019, the company announced in a press release Thursday. “The Postal Service continues to win e-commerce customers, grow our package delivery business and increase market share,” Brennan said, attributing its strength in part to affordable pricing compared to rivals UPS and FedEx. The Postal Service reported a loss of $2.7 billion for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. “No other shipper delivers as many e-commerce packages to the home.”. The government-run U.S. © 1996 - 2021 NewsHour Productions LLC. Postal Service reported a financial loss Tuesday for the 11th straight year, citing declining mail volume and costs of its pension and health care obligations even as it predicted another strong holiday season of package deliveries. The quarterly net loss shrank to $2.2 billion from $2.3 billion in the same quarter last year. The results marked the 13th consecutive year … WASHINGTON — The beleaguered U.S. To avert bankruptcy, the post office has defaulted on the multibillion-dollar health prepayments each year since 2012. Revenue from mail services, the most profitable part of revenue has been hit by the spread of COVID-19 and a drop in “secular” mail services were the primary reasons for the large losses. Postal Service began in 2020 with a dubious track record. MYTH: The Post Office is required to fund pensions in advance in a manner applies to no other private-sector company. ... Congress is the key to a reduction is post office locations. The volume of its most profitable product, first-class mail, fell 1.4 percent as more people communicate electronically, but the temporary rate increase helped offset the losses by bringing a 3.2 percent rise in revenues for that product. That was better than a $5.6 billion loss in the prior year but was mainly due to fluctuations in interest rates that reduced workers’ compensation expenses. The Postal Service Lost $3.9 Billion Last Year Despite a $1 billion increase in revenue, unsustainable personnel costs pushed USPS' losses to such great heights. USPS said quarterly revenue rose to $17.6 billion, up $547 million. The USPS announced in its fourth quarter financial statement that in FY 2019, it ran an $8.8 billion deficit, a 125 percent increase compared to FY 2018. The net losses at the Postal Service grew by leaps and bounds in fiscal year 2019 according to the agency’s latest financial results. The White House wants to control losses, which means its ability to deliver ballots on time will be deeply compromised. The U.S. “The net loss for the quarter declined to $562 million from a $2 billion net loss a year ago, as the Postal Service benefited from declines in operating expenses outside of management’s control,” the report states. All figures are for one fiscal year. Jan 05 The commission might limit how high prices could go, but the cost of a first-class stamp could jump. WATCH LIVE: Congress holds joint session to confirm Electoral College vote, Read Tuesday, August 13, 2019. USPS Blue Collection Boxes. 2019 - $8.8 billion loss; 2018 - $3.9 billion loss; 2017 - $2.7 billion loss; 2016 - $5.6 billion loss; 2015 - $5.1 billion loss; 2014 - $5.5 billion loss; 2013 - $5 billion loss; 2012 - $15.9 billion loss; 2011 - $5.1 billion loss; 2010 - $8.5 billion loss; 2009 - $3.8 billion loss; 2008 - $2.8 billion loss; 2007 - $5.1 billion loss USPS has lost $69 billion over the past 11 fiscal years—including $3.9 billion in fiscal year 2018. To some extent, the USPS has been dragged under financially in ways private sector companies would not be. Trump insists that Pence can decertify results, Watch Post Office. Photo by Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images, Read Blue collection boxes will be serviced on New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31. Since then, it has lost $77.8 billion. Yet total retail offices dropped 4%, to 34,613. In the year-ago period, it had a profit of $12 million. New Year’s Day, Friday, January 1, is a Postal holiday. Australia Post boss Christine Holgate has warned losses for the company's letter business could double in the current financial year and force the postal service to … A new analysis explains just how much the USPS benefits from the subsidies it receives from the federal government. Postal Service on Friday said its losses more than doubled to $4.5 billion in the quarter ending in March and warned the economic slowdown spurred by the spread of COVID-19 could severely hurt its finances over the next 18 months. The 2017 loss came after a double-digit increase in package delivery was unable to offset drop-offs in letter mail, which makes up more than 70 percent of total postal revenue. It cannot cut these benefits without congressional approval. insidesources - Feb 7, 2017, 5:55 pm ... Last year marked ten consecutive years of losses. Among the questions that have been asked, but never fully answered by the USPS or any large outside research organization, is whether this number of employees and this number of postal offices are needed to deliver mail in as timely a fashion as it has for decades. The Postal Service projects the delivery of 15.5 billion cards, letters and packages from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve—including a record 600 million packages. Much of Congress wants to give the USPS the capital it needs to operate at its traditional level of service. But in reality, the agency is generating billions in cash. Similar to the last several years, the Postal Service was unable to make the $6.9 billion in payments that were due to the federal government at the end of fiscal year 2018 to pre-fund pension and health benefits for postal retirees, without putting its ability to fulfill its primary mission at undue risk. Former defense secretary urges top brass to resign or resist questionable Trump orders, Read Customer visits fell from 1.06 billion in 2010 to 812 million last year, down 23%. A view shows U.S. postal service mail boxes at a post office in Encinitas, California, February 6, 2013. The U.S. The U.S. The answer is both yes and no. The losses followed combined pre-tax profits of $388 million in the period from 2014 to 2017. JOHANNESBURG - The SA Post Office (Sapo) continues to bleed with the entity posting another financial loss of R978 million in the last financial year, however, showing a … By. ... P.O. “There are 7.5 million private sector jobs that depend on the postal system, and these jobs are at risk unless Congress takes action on postal reform.”, Left: The government-sponsored mail carrier has now recorded a combined $62.4 billion in losses over the last 10 years. And Congress has not given that permission and is unlikely to do so. Legislation in 2006 required the Postal Service to fund 75 years’ worth of retiree health benefits, something that neither the government nor private companies are required to do. Postal Service Net Income/Loss By Year . Since then, it has lost $77.8 billion. Postal Service posted a net loss of approximately $5.6 billion for fiscal year 2016 (October 1, 2015 - September 30, 2016), as compared to a $5.1 billion net loss for the year ended September 30, 2015. Overall net loss for the year: $8.8 billion. The Post Office has been hit by two strikes this year. Without help, “our financial results will continue to deteriorate and likely at an accelerated rate,” said Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan. The Post Office Is on Pace for Its Worst Year since 2012 Default. The management of the USPS has argued persuasively for years that is financial viability is severely damaged by payments that must be made to pension plans and retirement health plans. The post office had an even larger loss than expected last year -- $8.5 billion. “We cannot generate enough revenue or cut enough costs to pay all of our bills.”. Postal Service lost $8.8 billion in fiscal 2019, more than doubling its losses from the previous year. Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. The US Postal Service reported a loss of $3.9 billion for fiscal year 2018, despite growth in its shipping and packaging business.. The U.S. Earlier estimates had put the loss at $6 billion to $7 billion. Hope Yen, Associated Press. The US Postal Service reported a loss of $3.9 billion for fiscal year 2018, despite growth in its shipping and packaging business.. WATCH: Raphael Warnock speaks on Georgia Senate runoff, Read The agency is anticipating a loss of $13 billion in revenue this fiscal year due to the crisis and another $54 billion in losses over 10 years. Of this decline in net loss, $2.4 billion was the result of changes in interest rates, outside of management's control, that reduced workers’ compensation expense compared to last year. Postal Service reported a Friday that losses for fiscal 2020 widened to more than $9 billion even as revenue rose, given a drop in demand … The price of a first-class stamp, now 49 cents, is slated to increase by one penny in January because of inflation. Michael Zimmerman’s Prentice Capital is having a strong year. Excluding losses so far this year, the USPS last had a surplus in 2006. All Rights Reserved. Congressional Democrats want to pass legislation that could give the USPS $10 billion of support now and $15 billion over the next several years. Thank you. More recently, it began a pilot program this holiday season to provide cheap next-day service with packages delivered Sundays to people’s homes. Congress is the key to a reduction is post office locations. Prentice Capital was up 15.3% net last month, bringing its year-to-date gain to 49.4% net. The massive overhang of benefit costs has been of its control. It has 31,322 USPS-managed retail post offices. Post Office Expects $9 Billion Loss This Year, Will Prioritize Mail-in Ballots Before Election Day Postmaster Louis DeJoy told members of Congress that the post office … Jan 05 To become financially stable, the Postal Service is also urging Congress to provide it relief from the mandate to prefund retiree health benefits. Controllable loss for the year was $3.4 billion, an increase of $1.5 billion … Postal Service took a revenue hit this year. It has another 136,174 non-career employees. Post Office Urges Legislative Reforms to Reverse Massive Losses. Mail volume fell by roughly 5 billion pieces, or 3.6 percent, as people in the digital age rely more on email for online bill payments. ***Includes Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, First-Class Packages, Package Services, Parcel Return Service and Parcel Select. Postal Service (USPS) is in great financial trouble, and its ability to deliver ballots in the upcoming election has turned to some extent on the fact. Postal Service lost $8.8 billion in fiscal 2019, more than doubling its losses from the previous year. Post Office locations are closed New Year’s Day. ET For the first nine months of its fiscal year, it lost $7.4 billion on $54.8 billion. ... Key Republicans whose rural constituents are especially reliant on the post office support the idea. Others have looked at how many post offices are within five miles of one another. The president wants you to know that the United States Postal Service is “a loser.” “We lose $3 and $4 a package on average. The U.S. Lawmakers on Saturday are expected to vote on a bailout for the US Postal Service, which, on paper, has been posting huge losses for years. This past year, USPS reported a $2.7 billion loss. All Post Office locations will open and resume regular mail delivery on Saturday, January 2, 2021. The results marked the 13th consecutive year the mailing agency lost … Overall, the post office had operating revenue of $65.2 billion in fiscal 2012, down $500 million from the previous year. Overall, the post office had operating revenue of $65.2 billion in fiscal 2012, down $500 million from the previous year. The past fiscal year yielded a $1.2 billion operating profit for the U.S. The Postal Service reported a loss of $2.7 billion for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The post office handles more than 140 billion pieces of mail a year, according to the GAO. Losses more than doubled at the US Postal Service in the first three months of the year to $1.3 billion. The Postal Service, an independent agency, is trying to stay financially afloat as it seeks to invest billions in new delivery trucks to get packages more nimbly to American homes. Post office’s losses widen to $9 billion this year as election boost fails to offset drop in mail demand Last Updated: Nov. 14, 2020 at 8:42 a.m. Learn more about Friends of the NewsHour. The agency said Friday it was in the red for 2010. Revenues did climb to $71.1 billion from $70.6 billion in 2018, but first-class and marketing mail fell by 3.1 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively. Months of the year was $ 2.0 billion, an increase of $ billion... Private sector companies would not be year to $ 7 billion recorded a combined 62.4! 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