Job Seekers Add Your Resume Federal Jobs DC Links Employers Post Jobs Free

Postal Service to Delay Closings POSTED December 15, 2011 WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Postal Service, in response to a request made by multiple U.S. Senators, has agreed to delay the closing or consolidation of any Post Office or mail processing facility until May 15, 2012. The Postal Service will continue all necessary steps required for the review of these facilities during the interim period, including public input meetings. The Postal Service said it hopes this period will help facilitate the enactment of comprehensive postal legislation. Given the Postal Service's financial situation and the loss of mail volume, the Postal Service must continue to take all steps necessary to reduce costs and increase revenue. Over the past several months, the Postal Service has considered closing 252 of 487 mail processing facilities. These closures could reduce delivery times from the current one to three days instead to two to three days. The U.S. Postal Service ended its 2011 fiscal year with a net loss of $5.1 billion. The year-end loss would have been $10.6 billion had it not been for passage of legislation that postponed a congressionally mandated payment of $5.5 billion to pre-fund retiree health benefits. Total 2011 mail volume declined by 3 billion pieces, or 1.7 percent, from 2010. The Postal Service’s largest and most profitable product, First-Class Mail, continued its year-over-year decline, from $34.2 billion in 2010 to $32.2 billion in 2011 (5.8 percent), which dwarfed continued growth in its more competitive products, packages and Standard Mail. The number of career employees at the Postal Service has been reduced by 128,000 over the past four years.