The United States Postal Service (USPS) has issued a dire warning, stating the agency may be forced to halt mail delivery or cease paying employees within the next 12 months.
The agency is facing a financial breaking point that could lead to a total service shutdown without immediate federal intervention. Postmaster General David Steiner announced the state of USPS during a March 18 during a congressional hearing. Steiner, who took over the role following the resignation of Louis DeJoy in March 2025, revealed that at its current “run rate,” the USPS will be entirely out of cash by early 2027. The agency handles approximately 109 billion items annually and ships 10 times more packages than FedEx and UPS combined. However, USPS reported a $9 billion loss for the 2025 fiscal year alone.
“I like to say that we got thrown overboard and into the water,” Steiner said. “But instead of tossing us a life jacket, we were thrown an anchor.”
incontent-ad2">To mitigate the deficit, the USPS has proposed a new round of price hikes set for mid-2026. First-Class Mail stamps have remained steady at 78 cents. However, new filings suggest a price hike may be necessary to if operations are to continue as normal through the end of the year.
The financial crisis comes as Georgia residents experience significant mail delays in the country. United States Senator Jon Ossoff has been vocal about the “abysmal” on-time delivery rates in North Georgia. Ossoff visited the state’s Palmetto sorting facility in May 2024 to observe operations and get answers for delayed services.
“It was not properly planned for,” Senator Ossoff told WSB-TV. “It was not properly managed, there was no one in charge, and the results have been devastating for Georgians.”
The current delivery rate hovers between 75% and 80%. Ossoff points out that delayed parcels have left seniors without prescriptions and small businesses unable to reach markets.
“No longer can we maintain the status quo,” Steiner warned. “Less than a year from now, the Postal Service will be unable to deliver the mail if major changes aren’t made.”
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