The United States Postal Service Is Important: Here's Why
Universal Mail Delivery – We deliver bills, taxes, checks, medication, passports, drivers licenses, legal documents, license plates, newspapers, and more – regardless of geography, income, or accessibility. The nation’s post office will celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2025. USPS is a self-sustaining and independent establishment of the federal government, does not receive taxpayer funding, and relies on revenue derived from the sale of postal services and products (Source: nalc.org). Every day, 6 days a week, USPS delivers 376 million pieces of mail and packages to nearly 169 million delivery points nationwide. USPS is central to a $1.92 trillion mailing industry. U.S. letter carriers deliver 44% of the world’s mail (Source: nalc.org).
Pricing – Our shipping rates force private corporations like Amazon, UPS, and FedEx to keep their prices low and competitive. Additionally, 51.5 million households and businesses in rural communities would have no guaranteed delivery of their essential mail and packages without USPS (Source: nalc.org). Dismantling or privatizing the Postal Service would result in higher costs for consumers, and potential lack of access to delivery for millions of Americans nationwide.
Rural Delivery Concerns – USPS’s universal service obligation ensures mail reaches every U.S. address, critical for rural communities. A Commerce-led focus on profitability could lead to reduced service—fewer delivery days, closed post offices, or slower mail times—disproportionately hitting remote areas reliant on USPS for medicine, ballots, and communication.
Small Business – The US Postal Service is a huge proponent in the support of small businesses – through the LEADing together program, postal employees in any sector of the postal service can engage customers and advocate for the use of numerous postal products and services (Source: news.usps.com), such as Click-N-Ship and Business Rate shipping, USPS Connect Solutions, Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) Services, and numerous other postal products and services, small businesses grow and thrive through partnership with the Postal Service (Source: usps.com)
Political Mail – USPS and its letter carriers play a crucial role in handling political mail and ballots, ensuring a fair and secure election process. As an independent agency, we must remain free from political influence to uphold the integrity of our democratic system and fulfill our sacred duty of delivering ballots with accuracy and reliability.
Disaster & Crisis Response – In emergencies such as hurricanes, wildfires, and pandemics, USPS remains a lifeline for communities, delivering essentials when others cannot. When COVID-19 had the entire world in lockdown, USPS kept its doors open, ensuring the public continued to have access to the essential services it provides – postal workers put themselves in harms way as essential workers, in order to ensure the mail always runs. USPS had the perfect infrastructure in place during COVID to deliver COVID tests, masks, medicine, and essential needs to every American in every community – and the Postal Service would provide this once more for another pandemic or global shutdown of similar nature.
Veterans – As of 2024, the Postal Service employs nearly 73,000 military veterans, making it one of the largest employers of veterans in the country.
Community Connection – The connections letter carriers make to customers are invaluable: sometimes carriers are the only person in contact with an elderly or disabled American. Letter carriers are the eyes and ears of communities – in many cases, carriers are able to save lives and respond to and/or report emergencies quicker than other first responders. Numerous lives have been saved by heroic letter carriers coming upon those in need while making their appointed rounds. Additionally, USPS has programs that deliver free reading material to the blind, and free books for kids programs. The Postal Service is one of the most popular government entities in the United States, consistently ranked as one of the most trusted federal agencies by the American people.
Impacts of Privatization Internationally – “International postal privatization and profit maximization efforts have resulted in disinvestment, lower service quality, and higher prices (despite more competition), as well as drastic cuts to both employment and wages across the entire delivery industry. Privately owned post offices only operate in areas deemed lucrative, resulting in large sections of unserved rural, sub-urban, and even low-income urban areas. For example, the privatization of the Italian, Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish postal systems has led to slower delivery times, reductions in the frequency of delivery to as few as three days a week, and, in some cases, the discontinuation of delivery to rural residents. These service reductions would be foolish when more and more people rely on delivery for purchased goods and the frequency of delivery is increasing in the United States.
Stamp prices have increased significantly in countries with privatized postal systems. For example, since 2010, stamp prices have more than doubled in Italy and more than tripled in the UK, while the price of a stamp has only increased 66% in the United States. In fact, according to an analysis by the USPS OIG, USPS stamp prices are the most affordable in the world, when compared to 30 other countries with postal systems relatively comparable to the USPS.” (Source: nalc.org)
The USPS is a critical institution that serves as the backbone of American communication and commerce. The “A Sustainable Path Forward” report outlines several key reasons why preserving and strengthening the Postal Service is essential:\
USPS Ensures Universal Service & Accessibility• The USPS delivers mail and packages to every address in the country, including remote and rural areas that private carriers often neglect or surcharge.• It maintains a nationwide network of post offices, ensuring that all communities have access to postal services regardless of profitability.• Over 43 million Americans in rural areas depend on USPS for essential mail and package delivery.
USPS Powers the Economy & Supports Local Businesses• The USPS handles 146 billion pieces of mail annually and facilitates commerce for small businesses and major corporations alike.• USPS delivery services help local businesses compete with large e-commerce companies by providing affordable shipping options.• The mailing industry supports 7.3 million jobs and $1.58 trillion in economic activity.
USPS is Essential for Public Safety & Government Services• The Postal Service delivers prescription medications to veterans and seniors who rely on timely shipments.• It plays a vital role in delivering Social Security checks, passports, and IRS documents, ensuring millions of Americans receive critical government services.• USPS is the primary carrier of election ballots, safeguarding the democratic process by enabling vote-by-mail for millions.
USPS is a Major Employer & Supports Middle-Class Jobs• With over 600,000 employees, USPS is one of the largest employers in the country, providing stable, middle-class jobs with fair wages and benefits.• The Postal Service employs over 100,000 veterans, making it one of the largest veteran employers in the U.S.
USPS Operates Without Taxpayer Funding• The Postal Service is self-funded through the sale of postage and services, not taxpayer dollars.
USPS is More Reliable and Affordable than Private Carriers• Private carriers like UPS and FedEx rely on USPS for last-mile delivery in rural areas.• USPS rates are significantly lower for consumers, keeping delivery costs affordable for all Americans.• Unlike private companies, USPS does not discriminate based on geography or income level.