Summary

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the status of U.S. Postal Service costs and mail delivery services under the Postal Reorganization Act.

GAO found that, under the act, overall mail volume has increased over 35 percent, from 87 billion pieces of mail to 119 billion. Available data also indicate that the Service's mail delivery goals are consistently being met and that the public generally views mail service favorably, although the Service continues to receive hundreds of thousands of service complaints from individual mailers. The Service is continuing efforts to improve mail service to the general public. Postal Service annual operating expenses have increased 151 percent under the act, from $9.6 billion to $24.1 billion. For the past two fiscal years, the Service has generated operating incomes and it continues to make efforts to reduce costs.