Rural Customers Most Affected by Continued U.S. Postal Service Declines

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has reported that despite implementing a 10-year strategic plan initiated in 2021 aimed at financial sustainability and service improvement, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has experienced a decline in service performance. The GAO’s findings indicate that cost-cutting measures, including extended delivery times and reduced service targets, have not only failed to meet expectations but have also disproportionately impacted rural customers.

The strategic plan has seen USPS lengthen the expected delivery times for certain First-Class Mail products. Initially, in October 2021, this change involved adding one to two days to delivery estimates, a move intended to facilitate a shift in transportation from air to ground. Further adjustments were made in April 2025, when USPS eliminated end-of-day or afternoon mail collection at over 24,000 post offices located more than 50 miles from a Regional Processing and Delivery Center. Concurrently, USPS lowered its service performance targets, which represent the percentage of mail it aims to deliver within its established standards. These targets were reduced in fiscal year 2021, and since then, USPS has largely failed to achieve most of them. While these initiatives were designed to achieve cost savings, oversight entities and industry stakeholders have noted that they have resulted in slower mail delivery for some and have had a particularly significant effect on customers in rural areas.

Despite implementing measures such as diagnostic tools and regular operational meetings to address these performance issues, the GAO found that these actions have been insufficient. The persistent service problems, coupled with USPS’s ongoing financial challenges, may hinder its ability to improve. The GAO’s review, which examined changes to service standards, the impact of cost-cutting initiatives on service and customers, and the effectiveness of USPS’s actions and communication, highlights the need for greater transparency. The upcoming update to USPS’s strategic plan in 2027 presents an opportunity for the organization to provide a clearer picture of its efforts to Congress, the public, and other stakeholders regarding its plans to address service performance, the expected outcomes of these actions, and the obstacles it faces.

Article by Mel Anara, based upon information from the U.S. Government Accountability Office

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