U.S. Postal Service

Over the last two decades, historical events, legislative enactments, and operational performance have shaped the U.S. Postal Service’s financial results. Throughout the 1990s, the Postal Service’s profitability fluctuated, and the early 2000s saw more net losses than net incomes. Fiscal year (FY)...

The universal service obligation (USO) guarantees all citizens within a country affordable, consistent postal service, regardless of location. However, declining mail volume and market competition have made it harder for postal operators worldwide to sustain the costs of providing the USO. To...

The Office of Inspector General is tasked with ensuring efficiency, accountability, and integrity in the U.S. Postal Service. We also have the distinct mission of helping to maintain confidence in the mail and postal system, as well as to improve the Postal Service's bottom line. We use audits and...

Background The U.S. Postal Service manages over 31,000 facilities nationwide, both owned and leased. Regular maintenance is critical to keeping these spaces safe and operations efficient. The Postal Service spent about $5.5 billion on facility repairs between 2014 and 2024. However, in 2024, it...

This report presents the results of our audit of Postal Service Management of Overtime Hours. Background The Postal Service designates overtime hours as any workhours an employee has worked in excess of a standard workday and/or workweek. The Postal Service generally categorizes overtime hours as...

This report presents the results of our audit of U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Expense Purchase Card Use. Background The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, an investigative agency within the Postal Service, uses purchase cards for local buying of general goods and services when day-to-day...

This report presents a review of the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission’s (PRC) information security program and practices for fiscal year (FY) 2025. The Federal Information Security Modernization Act, amended in 2014 (FISMA) requires agencies to develop, implement, and document agencywide...

U.S. Postal Service employees who sustain a workrelated injury or occupational disease are covered by the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA), which provides monetary and medical benefits and assistance in returning employees to work. These benefits include wage-loss compensation, medical and...

This report presents the results of our audit of Network Changes: Regional Transfer Hubs. The U.S. Postal Service implemented the Regional Transfer Hubs (RTH) initiative nationwide as part of its efforts to streamline and modernize its network. The initiative reduces origin separations and moves...

The U.S. Postal Service has been transporting live, day-old poultry since 1918. “Day-old poultry” is defined as day-old chickens, ducks, emus, geese, guinea birds, partridges, pheasants, quail, and turkeys. As the primary shipper for these time-sensitive shipments, or “lives,” the Postal Service...