Financial Analysis of

United States Postal Service

Financial Results and 10-K Statement

Fiscal Year 2016

March 31, 2017

Postal Regulatory Commission

Submitted 3/31/2017 11:13:07 AM

Filing ID: 99687

Accepted 3/31/2017
Contents 

Chapter 1. Report Overview .........................................................................................................................1

Financial Changes ................................................................................................................................................. 1

Chapter 2. Postal Service Financial Status ............................................................................................4

Introduction.............................................................................................................................................. 4

Analysis of Income Statements.......................................................................................................... 5

 Market Dominant Revenue Compared to Prior Year.................................................. 7

 Competitive Product Revenue Compared to Prior Year............................................ 9

Expense Analysis as Compared to Prior Year............................................................................10

 Personnel Expenses...............................................................................................................11

 Total Factor Productivity ....................................................................................................16

 Non-Personnel Expenses....................................................................................................18

Comparison to the Postal Service Operating Plan ...................................................................19

Analysis of Balance Sheets ................................................................................................................22

 Assets ..........................................................................................................................................25

 Liabilities ...................................................................................................................................26

Analysis of Off-Balance Sheet Items ..............................................................................................27

 CSRS and FERS Pensions .....................................................................................................28

Analysis of Statements of Cash Flows...........................................................................................29

Chapter 3. Volume, Revenue, and Cost Trends................................................................................31

Overview..................................................................................................................................................31

 Overall Volume, Revenue, and Cost Trends................................................................................31

 Market Dominant Products and Services......................................................................31

 Market Dominant Volume Trends ...................................................................................32

 Market Dominant Revenue and Cost Trends...............................................................33

 Competitive Products and Services.................................................................................35

 Attributable and Institutional Cost Relationships.....................................................38

Market Dominant Volume, Revenue, and Cost Trends by Class .......................................................43

 First-Class Mail .................................................................................................................................................43

 First-Class Mail Letters Compared with FY 2015 ....................................................................43

 Trends in First-Class Mail Letters ..................................................................................................44

 First-Class Mail Flats Compared with FY 2015.........................................................................47

 Trends in First-Class Mail Flats.......................................................................................................48

 All Other First-Class Mail Compared with FY 2015.................................................................51

Standard Mail........................................................................................................................................................52

 Standard Mail Letters Compared with FY 2015 .......................................................................52

 Trends in Standard Mail Letters .....................................................................................................53

 Standard Mail Flats Compared with FY 2015............................................................................54
 Trends in Standard Mail Flats..........................................................................................................56

Periodicals .............................................................................................................................................................59

 Periodicals Compared with FY 2015.............................................................................................59

 Trends in Periodicals...........................................................................................................................60

Package Services .................................................................................................................................................63

Market Dominant Special Services...............................................................................................................65

Competitive Volume, Revenue, and Cost by Product............................................................................67

 Trends in Competitive Products .....................................................................................................69

Chapter 4. Sustainability, Liquidity, Activity, and Financial Solvency ................................72

Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................................72

Financial Sustainability Analysis ..................................................................................................................75

 Debt Ratio................................................................................................................................................76

 Fixed Asset to Net Worth Ratio.......................................................................................................77

 Current Liability Ratio ........................................................................................................................77

Financial Liquidity Analysis............................................................................................................................77

 Current Ratio..........................................................................................................................................78

 Quick Ratio ..............................................................................................................................................79

 Cash Ratio ................................................................................................................................................79

 Working Capital Analysis...................................................................................................................79

Financial Activity Analysis ..............................................................................................................................80

 Trend Analysis .......................................................................................................................................80

Financial Solvency Analysis ............................................................................................................................84

 Altman Z-Score ......................................................................................................................................84

Deconstructing the Altman Z-Score.............................................................................................................86

Working Capital to Total Assets......................................................................................................86

Retained Earnings to Total Assets .................................................................................................87

Earnings to Total Assets.....................................................................................................................88

Capital to Total Liabilities..................................................................................................................89

Shift in Altman Z-Score.......................................................................................................................89

Appendix A. Fiscal Year 2016 Volume, Revenue, Cost, and Cost Coverage by Class, Current 

Classification(Products).............................................................................................................. 92

Appendix A.2. Fiscal Year 2016 Volume, Revenue, Cost, and Cost Coverage by Class, Current 

Classification(Products) with FY 2016 Incremental Adjustments..............................................93
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 1

Chapter 1

Report Overview

Financial Changes

In FY 2016, the Postal Service generated its third consecutive year of Operating Income 

despite an increase in operating expenses and the expiration of the exigent surcharge in 

April 2016. Revenue from the Market Dominant and the Competitive products rate 

increases, the exigent price surcharge during the earlier half of the fiscal year, and the 

continuing growth in Competitive products volume contributed to a net operating income 

of $0.6 billion.1 This is $0.6 billion less than the net operating income of $1.2 billion 

recorded in FY 2015. When all adjustments are included, the net operating income of $0.6 

billion becomes a total net loss of $5.6 billion, a deterioration of $0.5 billion compared to FY 

2015. The increase in the total net loss is largely driven by a $1.5 billion increase in overall 

compensation and benefits costs and an increase in non-cash workers’ compensation 

expense of $0.9 billion caused by a decrease in the discount rate.

Figure I-1 shows the net income and loss results for the last 10 years, both with and 

without Non-operating Expenses (NOEs). The Postal Service considers non-cash workers’ 

compensation costs, statutory accruals into the Retiree Health Benefit Fund (RHBF), 

Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) supplemental payments, and one-time 

adjustments to be NOE’s.

Figure I-1

Postal Service Income/(Loss) ($ in Millions)

 

 Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to 2016 Forms 10-K and USPS Annual Reports

 Note: NOEs include all non-cash worker’s compensation costs, statutory accruals into the Postal Service’s RHBF, 

 the FERS supplemental payment, and any one-time expense or revenue adjustments.

 

1

United States Postal Service, 2016 Report on Form 10-K, November 15, 2016, at 15 (Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K).
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 2

The Postal Service’s liquidity continued to improve in FY 2016. Figure I-2 illustrates the 

overall liquidity, along with cash and debt trends, since FY 2006. The Postal Service 

reached its statutory debt limit of $15 billion at the end of FY 2012.2

Figure I-2

Postal Service Liquidity ($ in Millions)

 -

 1,000

 2,000

 3,000

 4,000

 5,000

 6,000

 7,000

 8,000

 9,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

$ in Millions

Cash Available Debt Total Liquidity (Cash + Avail. Debt)

 

The recent improvements in its cash balance have allowed the Postal Service to increase its 

capital investment plans. The FY 2016 Integrated Financial Plan (IFP) included a capital 

investment budget of $1.8 billion for facilities, mail processing equipment, vehicles, and 

information technology.3

Significant highlights of FY 2016 include:

 Consumer price index (CPI) based price increases were not enough to offset revenue 

lost from declining volumes and the expiration of the exigent surcharge.

 Total Market Dominant revenue decreased 1.5 percent after two consecutive years 

of revenue growth.

 Market Dominant products unit revenue decreased by 0.4 cents while unit 

attributable cost remained nearly unchanged.

 Competitive products attributable cost grew 4.9 percent and institutional cost

contribution grew 32.8 percent.

 Competitive products share of total Postal Service revenue, attributable cost, and 

contribution to institutional cost have more than doubled since FY 2007.

 

2

Id. at 10.

3

United States Postal Service, 2016 Integrated Financial Plan, at 5.

Source: Postal Service Form 10-K and USPS Annual Report, FY 2006-2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 3

 Growth in Competitive products volume increased its share of total attributable cost 

in every cost segment, more than doubling since FY 2008.

 Total Factor Productivity (TFP) declined slightly for the first time since FY 2009.

 Net deficiency is $55.9 billion resulting from several years of net losses starting in 

FY 2007.

 Financial sustainability continues to erode due to large personnel related liabilities

and the slow replacement of fully depreciated capital assets. Overall financial 

condition is adversely impacted by insufficient current assets (38 percent of total 

assets) to cover current liabilities (67 percent of total liabilities).

 Working capital is negative $45.1 billion, largely due to the growth in employeerelated liabilities, including the statutory accruals for payments into the RHBF.

 Cash position is at the highest level since FY 2007 but significant balance sheet 

liabilities and off-balance sheet unfunded liabilities for pension and annuitant health 

benefits are affecting improvements in financial condition.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 4

Chapter 2. Postal Service Financial Status

Introduction

This chapter analyzes the Postal Service’s overall financial status. The Commission 

evaluates relationships between the essential components of the Postal Service’s financial 

statements in order to better understand the Postal Service’s viability, stability, and 

profitability. The Commission also discusses the Postal Service’s operational status and 

allocation of resources.

The Commission’s analysis is primarily based upon the Postal Service’s Form 10-K financial 

statements for FY 2016 and FY 2015. To provide a basis for comparison, the Commission 

also incorporates select key financial data from the past 10 years.

The Postal Service’s Form 10-K report consists of the Income Statements, Balance Sheets, 

Statements of Changes in Net Deficiency, and Statements of Cash Flows. The Income 

Statements measure the Postal Service’s financial performance (profit and loss) over the 

fiscal year. The Balance Sheets summarize the Postal Service’s assets and liabilities held at 

the end of the fiscal year. The Statements of Changes in Net Deficiency combines the 

accumulated net deficit from operations and initial capital contributions. The Statements of 

Cash Flows measure the Postal Service’s inflows and outflows of cash during the fiscal year.

The remainder of this chapter is divided into the following sections:

Analysis of Income Statements. This section reviews overall income and loss, and compares 

current revenue and expenses with those forecasted for the current year and reported 

during the prior fiscal year. It also compares changes in Postal Service productivity 

between FY 2015 and FY 2016.

Analysis of Balance Sheets. This section begins with a discussion of changes in the net 

deficiency, which occurs because Postal Service liabilities exceed assets. It then 

summarizes the Postal Service’s assets and liabilities at the end of the fiscal year.

Analysis of Off-Balance Sheet Items. This section examines items that are effectively 

liabilities of the Postal Service, but that do not appear on its Balance Sheets. More 

specifically, these items are future net liabilities that will need to be funded by future 

revenue.4

 

4

The off-balance sheet items are found in Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation in the 

Postal Service Form 10-K. Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K Statements, November 15, 2016, at 24–27 (Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K). 
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 5

Analysis of Statements of Cash Flows. This section analyzes the Postal Service’s inflows and 

outflows of cash and debt during the year.

Analysis of Income Statements

To facilitate a detailed financial analysis of the Postal Service’s Income Statements, the 

Commission separately identifies elements of the reported operating revenue and 

operating expenses. 

In FY 2016, the Postal Service made a $1.0 billion adjustment to total Market Dominant 

products revenue.5 For purposes of this analysis, the adjustment is shown separately.

Net operating expense is operating expenses adjusted to exclude the payment to the Postal 

Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (RHBF), the supplemental contribution to the Federal 

Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuity, and the non-cash adjustments to the 

workers’ compensation liability. Those adjustments and expenses are properly recognized 

as accrual entries and disaggregated by the Commission to provide an in-depth analysis of 

the financial results for FY 2016.

Table II-1 illustrates the Commission’s disaggregated version of the Income Statements.

 

5

Estimated revenue recognized for postage sold but not used (deferred revenue) was increased to record omitted revenue from a recalculation 

of Forever Stamps usage included in Postage in the Hands of the Public (PIHOP) during the past years.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 6

Table II-1

Postal Service Income Statements Restated to Facilitate Analysis, FY 2016 and FY 2015

($ in Millions)

The Postal Service recorded a net operating income of $0.6 billion in FY 2016. This is $0.6 

billion less than the net operating income of $1.2 billion recorded in FY 2015. Most of this 

operational net income can be attributed to an increase in revenue from the Market 

Dominant and the Competitive products rate increases, the exigent price surcharge on 

Market Dominant products, and the continuing growth in Competitive products parcels.

Net operating expense6 was $2 billion higher than in FY 2015, primarily driven by 

increases in compensation and benefits costs.

When all adjustments are included, the net operating income of $0.6 billion becomes a total 

net loss of $5.6 billion. This is a deterioration of $0.5 billion compared to FY 2015. The 

increase in the total net loss is largely driven by higher overall compensation and benefits 

costs of $1.5 billion and an increase in workers’ compensation expense of $0.9 billion 

caused by a decrease in the discount rate.

 

6

Net operating expense is operating expense adjusted to exclude the payment to the Postal Service RHBF, the supplemental contribution to the 

FERS annuity, and the non-cash adjustments to the workers’ compensation liability.

FY 2016 Variance 

FY 2016 FY 2015 Variance Plan from Plan

Operating Revenue as Reported by the Postal Service $ 71,498 $ 68,928 $ 2,570 $ 69,321 $ 2,177

 Less: Adjustment for Postage Related to Forever Stamps (1,061) - (1,061) - (1,061)

Net Operating Revenue $ 70,437 $ 68,928 $ 1,509 $ 69,321 $ 1,116

Operating Expense as Reported by the Postal Service 76,899 73,827 3,072 75,004 1,895

Less: Statutory Accrual into Retiree Health Benefit Fund (5,800) (5,700) (100) (5,800) -

 Suppl e me nta l Contri buti on to FERS Annui ty (248) (241) (7) (241) (7)

 Non-Ca s h Cha nge to Worke rs ' Compe ns a ti on Li a bi l i ty (1,214) (307) (907) - (1,214)

Net Operating Expense $ 69,637 $ 67,579 $ 2,059 $ 68,963 $ 674

Interest Income 32 23 9 23 9

Interest Expense 222 184 38 235 (13)

Net Income (Loss) from Operations $ 610 $ 1,188 $ (578) $ 146 $ 464

Adjustment for Postage Related to Forever Stamps 1,061 - 1,061 - 1,061

Statutory Accrual into Retiree Health Benefit Fund 5,800 5,700 100 5,800 -

Supplemental Contribution to FERS Annuity 248 241 7 241 7

Non-Cash Change to Workers' Compensation Liability 1,214 307 907 - 1,214

Net Loss $ (5,591) $ (5,060) $ (531) $ (5,895) $ 304

Source: Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference USPS-FY16-5, December 29, 2016; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference USPS-FY15-5, December 29, 

2015 ; FY 2016 Plan data from USPS Preliminary Financial Information (Unaudited), September 2016, November 15, 2016 (November 15, 2016, 

Preliminary Financial Information); file "2016.11.15 September FY 2016 Report to the PRC--Report.pdf."

Decrease in revenue and expense is denoted by (). Increase in net loss is denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 7

MARKET DOMINANT REVENUE COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR

This section summarizes the overall revenue by class for Market Dominant products. 

Chapter 3 provides a more detailed discussion of revenue by class and product.

Table II-2 reflects FY 2016 and FY 2015 revenue by class.

Table II-2

Revenue by Market Dominant Mail Class, FY 2016 and FY 2015

($ in Millions)

Total Market Dominant revenue, excluding the adjustment for the prior usage of Forever 

Stamps, declined 1.5 percent from the prior year. Consumer price index (CPI) based price 

increases were not enough to offset revenue lost from declining volumes and the expiration 

of the exigent surcharge.7 First-Class revenue declined by 1.8 percent, while Standard Mail 

revenue declined by 0.2 percent despite a slight increase in volume. Total Market Dominant 

revenue increased 0.9 percent from the prior year with the inclusion of the adjustment for 

the prior usage of Forever Stamps.

In FY 2016, the average revenue per piece declined significantly for Market Dominant 

products primarily due to the expiration of the exigent surcharge. As shown in Figure II-1, 

the change in revenue due to the change in average revenue per piece was negative for the 

first time since FY 2010 and accounts for practically all of the change in revenue.8 The loss 

in revenue due to the decline in mail volume is effectively zero as Market Dominant mail 

volume decreased just 0.3 percent in FY 2016.

 

7

Docket No. R2013-11, Order No. 3186, Order on Removal of the Exigent Surcharge and Related Changes to the Mail Classification Schedule, 

March 29, 2016.

8

The change in revenue per piece can be affected by more than just rate changes. Changes in mail mix, average weight per piece, and in the 

case of Periodicals, changes in the editorial/advertising content, can influence the overall average revenue per piece. However, the 

predominant factor affecting changes in revenue per piece is generally changes in rates.

FY 2016 FY 2015 $ Variance % Variance

First-Class Mail $ 29,059 $ 29,597 $ (538) (1.8%)

Standard Mail 17,675 17,711 (36) (0.2%)

Periodicals 1,507 1,589 (82) (5.2%)

Package Services 799 806 (7) (0.9%)

Ancillary and Special Services 1,828 1,925 (97) (5.0%)

Sub-total Market Dominant Mail and Services Revenue $ 50,868 $ 51,628 $ (760) -1.5%

Other 994 798 196 24.5%

Change in estimate of prepaid postage 1,061 - 1,061 100.0%

Total Adjusted Market Dominant Mail and Services Revenue $ 52,923 $ 52,426 $ (564) 0.9%

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Decrease in revenue is denoted by (). 

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1, March 28, 2017; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1, March 28, 2016 ; Library Reference USPS-FY16-42, 

December 28, 2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 8

Figure II-1

Change in Market Dominant Revenue Due to Changes

In Average Revenue per Piece and Total Mail Volumes,

FY 2010 – FY 2016

 (4,000)

 (3,000)

 (2,000)

 (1,000)

 -

 1,000

 2,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 Change (in Millions)

Change in Revenue due to change in Revenue/Piece Change in Revenue due to change in Volume Change in Total Revenue

Fiscal Year

Table II-3 shows that for Market Dominant products, the $1.0 billion in revenue generated 

from the exigent surcharge in the first 6 months and the change in revenue from changes in 

volume were not enough to offset the change in revenue from rates and extrinsic factors. 

Extrinsic factors include changes in mail mix, average weight per piece, and, in the case of 

Periodicals, changes in the editorial/advertising content.

 Source: Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) derived from Postal Service Revenue, Pieces and Weight Report, FY 2010 - 2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 9

Table II-3

Disaggregation of Change in Market Dominant Revenue, FY 2016 

($ in Millions)

COMPETITIVE PRODUCT REVENUE COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR

Table II-4 compares revenue for Competitive products between FY 2016 and FY 2015. 

Competitive products’ overall revenue increased $2.1 billion or 12.6 percent. The 

Competitive product price increase (effective January 17, 2016) and higher volume 

primarily contributed to the additional revenue.9 This positive variance is comprised of 

$1.2 billion from price increases and $0.9 billion from volume increases.

 

9

Docket No. CP2016-9, Order No. 2814, Order Approving Changes in Rates of General Applicability for Competitive Products, November 13, 

2015..

Change in 

Revenue 

from 

Average 

Change in 

Revenue Per 

Piece

Revenue from 

Exigent 

Surcharge

Change in 

Revenue from 

Extrinsic 

Changes in 

Revenue Per 

Piece

Change in 

Revenue 

from Changes 

in Volume

Net Change 

in Revenue

1 2 3=1-2 4 5=1+4

First-Class Mail $ (79) $ 602 $ (681) $ (447) $ (527)

Standard Mail (248) 362 (610) 213 (34)

Periodicals (2) 30 (32) (80) (83)

Package Services (35) 19 (54) 29 (6)

Special Services (382) 42 (424) 286 (96)

Total Market Dominant $ (747) $ 1,054 $ (1,801) $ 1 $ (746)

Source: Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference USPS-FY16/42, December 29,2016; Docket No. R2013-11, Notice of the United States 

Postal Service of Filing Biweekly Surcharge Revenue Report,March 28, 2016.

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Decrease in revenue is denoted by (). 
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 10

Table II-4

Competitive Product Revenue, FY 2016 and FY 2015 ($ in Millions)

EXPENSE ANALYSIS AS COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR

As shown in Table II-5, total expenses increased 4.2 percent or $3.1 billion in FY 2016 

resulting from higher operating expenses and the impact of lower discount rates on the 

workers’ compensation liability.

Table II-5

Total Expenses, FY 2016 and FY 2015 ($ in Millions)

FY 2016 FY 2015 $ Variance % Variance

Priority Mail $ 7,785 $ 7,276 $ 509 7.0%

Total Ground 5,192 3,925 1,267 32.3%

First-Class Packages 2,076 1,689 387 22.9%

Priority Mail Express 809 779 30 3.8%

International 1,792 1,970 (178) (9.1%)

Ancillary and Special Services 842 786 56 7.2%

Sub-total Competitive Products Mail and Services Revenue $ 18,496 $ 16,426 $ 2,070 12.6%

Other Revenue 111 99 12 12.1%

Total Adjusted Competitive Products Mail and Services Revenue $ 18,607 $ 16,525 $ 2,082 12.6%

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Library Reference USPS-FY16-42.

Decrease in revenue is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

FY 2016 FY 2015 $ Variance % Variance

Compensation & Benefits Expenses:

 Salaries and Benefits $ 48,115 $ 46,944 $ 1,171 2.5%

 Workers' Compensation 1,468 1,452 16 1.1%

 Annuitant Health Benefits-Current Payment 3,305 3,111 194 6.2%

 Other Personnel Related 326 334 (8) (2.4%)

Subtotal Personnel Expenses $ 53,214 $ 51,841 $ 1,373 3.0%

Transportation 6,992 6,579 413 6.3%

Other Expenses 9,431 9,158 273 3.0%

Total Operating Expenses $ 69,637 $ 67,579 $ 2,058 3.0%

Systemwide Personnel Expenses:

Workers' Compensation Non-Cash Adjustments 1,214 308 906 294.5%

Statutory Accrual into RHBF 5,800 5,700 100 1.8%

Supplemental Contrib. to FERS 248 241 7 2.9%

Total Expenses $ 76,899 $ 73,827 $ 3,072 4.2%

Source: PRC derived from Postal Service National Trial Balance September 2016, November 15, 2016; Postal Service 

National Trial Balance September 2015, November 13, 2015.

Decrease in expenses is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 11

Personnel expense included in operating expenses are compensation, retirement, health 

benefit costs, and certain system-wide benefits, such as the cash payment for workers’ 

compensation and the current year’s premiums for annuitant health benefits. Personnel 

costs included in operational expenses account for 69.2 percent of total expenses, 1.0 

percent lower than in FY 2015.

Operating and non-operating personnel costs as a percent of total expenses remained the 

same as in the prior year at 78.6 percent. Purchased transportation costs are 9.1 percent of 

total expenses, 0.2 percent higher than in FY 2015. Other expenses make up the remaining 

12.3 percent of total expenses.10

PERSONNEL EXPENSES

Figure II-2 illustrates the composition of FY 2016 personnel expenses. Compensation 

accounts for the largest portion of personnel expenses, representing 60.6 percent of total 

personnel costs. Retirement benefits are the next largest component of total personnel 

expenses, at over 26.3 percent.

Retirement benefits comprise of statutory RHBF payments, annuitant health premiums, 

and employer contributions to the FERS, the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) 

pensions, and Social Security. The current premiums for annuitant health benefits along 

with the statutory prefunding RHBF payments account for 15.2 percent of total retirement 

related expenses.

Figure II-2

Total Personnel Expenses, FY 2016

 

10 Other expenses comprise of supplies and services, depreciation and amortization, rent and utilities, vehicle maintenance service, delivery 

vehicle fuel, information technology and communications, rural carrier equipment maintenance, and miscellaneous costs. Postal Service 

FY 2016 Form 10-K at 30.

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 21, 27, and 30.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 12

Table II-6 shows that the total personnel expenses for FY 2016 were $2.4 billion higher 

than in FY 2015. Higher operating personnel expenses and the non-cash adjustment to the 

workers’ compensation liability of $1.4 billion and $0.9 billion, respectively, increased total 

personnel expenses compared to FY 2015.

Table II-6

Breakdown of Total Personnel Expenses 

($ in Millions)

Total compensation comprises salaries for employees (full-time career, part-time career, 

and non-career), overtime and leave pay, and performance or arbitration awards. There 

are several cost drivers for compensation, including contractual pay increases, inflation 

used to calculate semi-annual Cost of Living Allowances (COLAs), work hours used, and the 

composition of the work force. Total compensation increased by $0.7 billion compared to 

FY 2015. According to the Postal Service, this increase was primarily caused by contractual 

salary increases and additional work hours necessitated by the growing demand for 

shipping services.11 Shipping services are more labor intensive consuming additional work 

hours.

The Postal Service’s work force is composed of career (full-time and part-time) and noncareer employees, which include postal support, city carrier assistants, mailhandler 

assistants, and other non-career employees. Table II-7 shows the number of employees by 

type for FY 2014, FY 2015, and FY 2016.

 

11 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 20.

FY 2016 FY 2015 $ Variance % Variance

Total Compensation $ 36,634 $ 35,931 $ 703 2.0%

Retirement 6,509 6,239 270 4.3%

Health Benefits-Current Employees 4,972 4,774 198 4.1%

Workers' Compensation 1,468 1,452 16 1.1%

Retiree Health Benefits-Current Year Premiums 3,305 3,111 194 6.2%

Other Compensation 326 334 (8) (2.4%)

Total Operating Personnel Expenses $ 53,214 $ 51,841 $ 1,373 2.6%

Statutory Accrual into Retiree Health Benefit Fund 5,800 5,700 100 1.8%

Non-Cash Change to Workers' Compensation Liability 1,214 308 906 294.2%

Supplemental Contribution to FERS 248 241 7 2.9%

Total Personnel Expenses $ 60,476 $ 58,090 $ 2,386 4.1%

Source: PRC derived from Postal Service National Trial Balance September 2016; Postal Service National Trial Balance September 

2015.

Decrease in expenses is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 13

Table II-7

Postal Service Employee Complement, FY 2016 - FY 2014

From FY 1999 through FY 2014, the Postal Service reduced the number of career 

employees every year, resulting in a total reduction of almost 309,000 career employees. 

However, for the past 2 years, the number of career employees increased by almost 20,600. 

According to the Postal Service, this is the result of the continuing need for additional 

employees to help facilitate the growth in shipping and packaging business and the 

delivery network.12

In 2016, collective bargaining agreements between the Postal Service and the National 

Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA)13 and the American Postal Workers Union, AFLCIO (APWU)14 were ratified.15 Both contracts include general wage increases of 3.8 percent, 

and a reduction in the Postal Service’s share of health insurance premiums. The NRLCA 

agreement also resulted in the creation of a new non-career employee category to provide 

weekend and parcel deliveries. The APWU agreement converted approximately 5,000 noncareer positions to career positions.

Figure II-3 shows the change in work hours since FY 2001. The Postal Service experienced 

a significant increase in work hours during FY 2016.

 

12 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 20.

13 Agreement between the United States Postal Service and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, 2015-2018.

14 Collective Bargaining Agreement between American Postakl Workers Union, AFL-CIO and U.S. Postal Service, May 21, 2015 to September 20, 

2018.

15 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 21-22.

FY 2016 FY 2015

Change FY 2016 

over FY 2015 FY 2014

Change FY 2015 

over FY 2014

Career Employees 508,908 491,863 17,045 488,299 3,564

Postal Support Employees (PSE) 26,368 29,312 (2,944) 24,781 4,531

City Carrier Assistants (CCA) 40,436 37,767 2,669 36,081 1,686

Mailhandler Assistants (MHA) 5,280 5,322 (42) 5,475 (153)

Other Non-Career 58,797 57,573 1,224 63,240 (5,667)

Total On-Roll Employees 639,789 621,837 17,952 617,876 3,961

Source: On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics (OPRES) , September 2016, October 6, 2016; On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics 

(OPRES), September 2015, September 24, 2015; On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics (OPRES) , September 2014, September 

26, 2014.

Decrease in amounts is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 14

Figure II-3

Change in Work Hours, FY 2001 - FY 2016

Following the trend for career employees, the Postal Service reduced total work hours each 

year from FY 1999 through FY 2014. However, for FY 2016 and FY 2015, the number of 

work hours has increased by 29.7 million (2.6 percent) and 20.9 million (1.9 percent). 

According to the Postal Service, this is the result of the continuing need for additional 

employees to help facilitate the growth in shipping and packaging business and the 

delivery network.16

 

16 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 21.

Source: Postal Service Form 10-K and Annual Reports, FY 2004 - 2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 15

Table II-8

Work Hours by Function (Thousands of Work Hours)

Overall delivery work hours increased 3.4 percent from FY 2015. City delivery work hours 

were higher by 12.7 million or 3.1 percent and rural delivery work hours were higher by 

7.1 million or 3.8 percent from the prior year. Customer Service work hours also increased 

significantly by 11.1 million or 7.0 percent compared to last year.

The increase in career employees and work hours impacted the growth in the productive 

hourly wage rates for certain crafts. Table II-9 shows that the rate for clerks, mailhandlers 

and city delivery carriers declined by 2.8, 1.2, and 1.0 percent, respectively, compared to 

last year. For the 2 year period from FY 2014 through FY 2016, the rate has increased in 

every category except for clerks, city delivery carriers, and Building Services which 

declined by 2.6, 0.9, and 1.3 percent, respectively.

FY 2016 FY 2015

% Variance 

FY 2016 over 

FY 2015 FY 2014

% Variance 

FY 2015 over 

FY 2014

Mail Processing 204,403 200,661 1.9% 198,076 1.3%

Customer Service 170,377 159,249 7.0% 146,370 8.8%

Delivery Service:

 City Delivery 416,646 403,983 3.1% 394,123 2.5%

 Rural Delivery 191,806 184,726 3.8% 179,466 2.9%

Maintenance:

 Plant & Equipment 65,946 66,741 (1.2%) 65,227 2.3%

 Vehicle 28,637 28,153 1.7% 27,646 1.8%

 Other 80,281 84,886 (5.4%) 95,996 (11.6%)

Total Work Hours 1,158,096 1,128,399 2.6% 1,106,903 1.9%

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Docket No. ACR2016, Docket No. ACR2016, Responses of the United States Postal Service to Questions 1-2, 4-9, 

11-13, 15-19, 23, 28, and 31-33 of Chairman’s Information Request No. 3, January 13, 2017, question 1, Excel file 

“ChIR.3.Q.1.LDC.Workhours.xlsx.”; Docket No. ACR2015, Responses of the United States Postal Service to Questions 1-5 

of Chairman’s Information Request No. 1, January 13, 2016, question 3, Excel file “ChIR.1.Q3.Ntnl.LDC.Workhours.xlsx.”

Decrease in amounts is denoted by (). 
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 16

Table II-9

Productive Hourly Wage Rates ($ per Work Hour), FY 2014 - FY 2016

TOTAL FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY

Total Factor Productivity (TFP) measures the change in the relationship between outputs 

(weighted workload) and inputs (resources used) over a period of time. Total workload is 

calculated using weighted mail volumes, miscellaneous output, and the change in delivery 

points. Resources consist of labor, materials (including purchased transportation), and 

deployed capital assets. Workload growth, less growth in resources used, equals TFP 

growth.

TFP declined slightly for the first time since FY 2009. Total workload grew by 1.3 percent in 

FY 2016. Increases in delivery points and weighted mail volume were the primary 

contributors. The growth in weighted mail volume was due to the increase in parcel 

volume, which requires more resources to process than letter and flat-shaped mail. Capital 

inputs continued to decrease while labor and material inputs increased. The growth in 

work hours, employment levels, and the price of labor also contributed to the slight TFP 

decline in FY 2016.

Segment/Subsegment FY 2016 FY 2015

% Change 

FY 2015 to 

FY 2016 FY 2014

% Change 

FY 2014 to 

FY 2015

Supervisors & Technicians $ 50.65 $ 50.12 1.0% $ 49.39 1.5%

Clerks 39.29 40.44 (2.8%) 40.34 0.2%

Mailhandlers 40.44 40.91 (1.2%) 39.92 2.5%

City Delivery Carriers 40.90 41.32 (1.0%) 41.26 0.1%

Vehicle Drivers 43.44 43.34 0.2% 42.51 1.9%

Rural Carriers 36.42 36.21 0.6% 35.85 1.0%

Building Services 39.60 40.06 (1.1%) 40.12 (0.2%)

Operating Equipment 53.55 53.21 0.6% 51.28 3.8%

Building Equipment 49.43 49.07 0.7% 47.59 3.1%

Motor Vehicle Service 47.34 46.70 1.4% 45.39 2.9%

Headquarters 64.24 63.71 0.8% 62.31 2.2%

Decrease in amounts is denoted by (). 

Source: Library Reference USPS-FY16-7, December 28, 2016; Library Reference PRC-ACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2014, Library 

Reference PRC-ACR2014/1, March 27, 2015.

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 17

Figure II-4

Postal Service Total Factor Productivity, FY 1970 - FY 2016

100

105

110

115

120

125

130

135

140

197019721974197619781980198219841986198819901992199419961998200020022004200620082010

20122014

2016

Index (1970 = 100)

Fiscal Year

Average Annual Growth

1970 - 1999 = 0.3%

2000 - 2015= 1.2%

Health benefits for current employees increased by 4.1 percent in FY 2016. Contractual 

reductions in the Postal Service’s share of health benefits premiums were offset by an 

increase in the career employee headcount and average increases in health plan premiums.

The cost of health benefits for Postal Service annuitants increased by $0.2 billion compared 

to FY 2015 resulting from higher average health premium costs and an increasing number 

of annuitants and survivors.

Workers’ compensation expense increased $0.9 billion in FY 2016. Workers’ compensation 

expense consists of a cash payment and a non-cash accrual expense. The cash payment is 

made to the United States Department of Labor for the current year cost of medical and 

compensation benefits payment and an administrative fee. This payment increased by $0.2 

billion. Non-cash adjustments include actuarial revaluations of existing cases and new 

cases, initial costs of new cases for the year, and any changes in the discount rate used to 

estimate the amount of current funds needed to settle all claims in the current year. In FY

2016, the non-cash adjustment resulted in a $1.2 billion increase in liability. Table II-10 

shows the non-cash changes to workers’ compensation liability for the past 2 years, as well 

as the other components factoring into the workers’ compensation expense.

Source: Postal Service Annual Tables, FY 2016 TFP (Total Factor Productivity).
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 18

Table II-10

Components of Workers’ Compensation Expense, FY 2016 - FY 2015

($ in Millions)

NON-PERSONNEL EXPENSES

Table II-11 shows a major component of non-personnel related expenses is transportation 

which accounted for 9.1 percent of total costs.

Table II-11

Transportation Costs by Category, FY 2016 and FY 2015

($ in Millions)

Total transportation expenses increased by 6.3 percent from FY 2015 to FY 2016. Highway 

transportation costs increased by 5.2 percent while air transportation costs increased by 

14.8 percent from the prior year. According to the Postal Service, these increases were 

primarily due to increased volume in shipping services and strategic efforts to improve

FY 2016 FY 2015 $ Variance % Variance

Noncash changes in the discount rate $ 1,026 $ 809 $ 217 26.8%

Cost of new cases 1,697 1,767 (70) (4.0%)

Actuarial valuation of new cases and revaluation of existing cases (113) (886) 773 (87.2%)

Subtotal $ 2,610 $ 1,690 $ 920 54.4%

Administrative fee 72 70 2 2.9%

Total workers' compensation expense $ 2,682 $ 1,760 $ 922 52.4%

Less medical claims payments (1,468) (1,452) (16) 1.1%

Total non-cash workers' compensation expense $ 1,214 $ 308 $ 906 294.2%

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 60.

Decrease in expenses is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

FY 2016 FY 2015 $ Variance % Variance

Highway Transportation $ 3,827 $ 3,638 $ 189 5.2%

Air Transportation 2,469 2,151 318 14.8%

International Transportation 642 773 (131) (16.9%)

Other Transportation 5 4 1 7 3 7 217.6%

Total Transportation $ 6,992 $ 6,579 $ 413 6.3%

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 29.

Decrease in expenses is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 19

delivery service results.17 These increases were offset slightly by a decline in international 

transportation costs by $0.1 billion.

Table II-12 shows all other non-personnel related expenses which increased by $0.3 billion 

in FY 2016. The largest increase was in miscellaneous expenses by $0.3 billion in FY 2016. 

Miscellaneous Other expenses consist mainly of travel, training, repairs, and contingencies. 

In FY 2015 the same category declined by $0.2 billion from lower labor and employment 

contingencies.18 Offsetting this increase were declines in depreciation, vehicle 

maintenance, and rural carrier equipment maintenance.

Table II-12

Other Non-Personnel Expenses, FY 2016 and FY 2015

($ in Millions)

Comparison to the Postal Service Operating Plan

The Postal Service’s FY 2016 Operating Plan, as outlined in its 2016 Integrated Financial 

Plan (IFP), projected a net loss of $5.9 billion in FY 2016.19 Compared to its Operating Plan, 

the total net loss of $5.6 billion was $0.3 billion less than the Postal Service estimated. Total 

revenue was $1.2 billion more than planned. Table II-13 compares actual FY 2016 results 

with the estimated results in the Operating Plan.

 

17 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 29.

18 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 30.

19 United States Postal Service Fiscal Year 2016 Integrated Financial Plan, November 20, 2015, at 1 (Postal Service 2016 Integrated Financial 

Plan).

FY 2016 FY 2015 $ Variance % Variance

Supplies and Services $ 2,755 $ 2,705 $ 50 1.8%

Depreciation and Amortization 1,740 1,769 (29) (1.6%)

Rent and Utilities 1,560 1,613 (53) (3.3%)

Vehicle Maintenance Services 983 1,053 (70) (6.6%)

Information Technology and Communications 852 784 68 8.7%

Rural Carrier Equipment Maintenance 484 514 (30) (5.8%)

Miscellaneous Other 1,057 719 338 47.0%

Total Other Expenses $ 9,431 $ 9,157 $ 274 3.0%

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 30.

Decrease in expenses is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 20

Table II-13

Actual and Operating Plan Income Statements, FY 2016 ($ in Billions)

As seen in Table II-14, revenue from First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and parcels 

(Competitive and Market Dominant) was higher than expected. Offsetting these increases 

was less than planned Other and International Mail revenue.

Table II-14

Actual and Operating Plan Revenue by Class, FY 2016 ($ in Billions)

FY 2016 

Actual

FY 2016 

Operating 

Plan Variance

Total Revenue $ 70.5 $ 69.3 $ 1.2

Total Operating Expense 69.9 69.2 0.7

Net Operating Income/(Loss) $ 0.6 $ 0.1 $ 0.5

RHBF Payment 5.8 5.8 -

Workers' Comp. Adj. 1.2 - 1.2

FERS Supplemental 0.2 0.2 0.0

PIHOP Accounting Estimate (1.0)

Total Net Income/(Loss) $ (5.6) $ (5.9) $ 0.3

Decrease in revenue and expense is denoted by (). Increase in net loss is denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

The Postal Service recorded a $1.1 billion dollar revenue adjustment in FY 2016 

Source: USPS Preliminary Financial Information (unaudited), September 2016, November 15, 

2016, file "2016.11.15 September FY 2016 Monthly Report to the PRC--Report.pdf." 

FY 2016 

Actual

FY 2016 

Operating 

Plan Variance

First-Class Mail $ 27.3 $ 27.2 $ 0.1

Periodicals 1.5 1.5 -

Standard Mail 17.9 17.2 0.7

Other 2.8 3.5 (0.7)

Competitive and Other Parcels 18.3 16.9 1.4

International 2.7 3.0 (0.3)

Total Mail Revenue $ 70.5 $ 69.3 $ 1.2

Decrease in revenue is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: November 15, 2016, Preliminary Financial Information, file "2016.11.15 

September FY 2016 Monthly Report to the PRC--Report.pdf." 
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 21

Total volume was 3 billion pieces higher than expected, primarily due to higher than 

planned volume for Standard Mail and First-Class Mail. The only class that did not meet or 

exceed expectations was Periodicals, which was 0.1 billion pieces lower than planned. 

Table II-15 compares the volume by class for FY 2016 with the volume projected in the 

Operating Plan.

Table II-15

Actual and Operating Plan Volume by Class, FY 2016 

($ in Billions)

Total expenses were $1.6 billion more than projected. Higher than expected compensation 

expenses contributed to the increase. As shown in Table II-16, the compensation and 

benefits expense was $1 billion more than planned, primarily due to higher work hours. 

Basic salaries and benefits made up the majority of the overall increase, $0.2 billion higher 

than planned.

Total non-personnel expenses were $0.3 billion less than projected, with negative 

variances in supplies and services ($0.1 billion) and other expenses ($0.2 billion). Overall, 

all categories for non-personnel expenses were less than budgeted.

FY 2016 

Actual

FY 2016 

Operating 

Plan Variance

First-Class Mail 60.9 60.4 0.5

Periodicals 5.5 5.6 (0.1)

Standard Mail 80.9 78.8 2.1

Other 0.5 0.4 0.1

Competitive and Other Parcels 5.1 4.8 0.3

International 1.0 0.9 0.1

Total Mail Volume 153.9 150.9 3.0

Decrease in amounts is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: November 15, 2016, Preliminary Financial Information, file "2016.11.15 

September FY 2016 Monthly Report to the PRC--Report.pdf." 
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 22

Table II-16

Actual and Operating Plan Expenses, FY 2016 

($ in Billions)

Analysis of Balance Sheets

This section analyzes the Postal Service’s financial situation and use of resources based on 

Balance Sheets data prepared according to U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles 

(GAAP). The data compares two points in time, September 30, 2016 (FY 2016) and 

September 30, 2015 (FY 2015).

The Balance Sheets have three components: assets, liabilities, and net assets. The difference 

between assets and liabilities is net assets. Working capital is the difference between 

current assets and current liabilities. The net financial position of Balance Sheets

represents the difference between total assets and total liabilities. This indicates whether 

assets were financed by borrowing (liability) or by capital contributions and accumulated 

earnings from prior years. Negative net worth (net deficiency) occurs when liabilities are 

greater than assets.

Table II-17 compares the Postal Service’s asset and liability structure for FY 2016 and 

FY 2015. This analysis is derived from the Postal Service’s Balance Sheets. Current assets 

are the sum of cash and cash equivalents, receivables and supplies, and prepayments. 

Current assets can be easily converted to cash for financing operations. Non-current assets, 

FY 2016 

Actual

FY 2016 

Operating 

Plan Variance

Compensation & Benefits $ 53.2 $ 52.2 $ 1.0

Transportation 7.0 7.0 -

Supplies & Services 2.8 2.9 (0.1)

Depreciation 1.7 1.7 -

Rent/Utilities/Other 5.2 5.3 (0.2)

Total Operating Expenses $ 69.9 $ 69.1 $ 0.7

PSRHBF Payment 5.8 5.8 -

Workers' Compensation Adj. 1.2 0.4 0.8

FERS Supplemental 0.2 0.2 0.0

Total Expenses $ 77.1 $ 75.5 $ 1.6

Decrease in expense is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: November 15, 2016, Preliminary Financial Information, file "2016.11.15 

September FY 2016 Monthly Report to the PRC--Report.pdf." 
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 23

mainly buildings and equipment (capital assets), are more difficult to convert to cash in the 

short term. Likewise, current liabilities are obligations that will come due within 1 year 

while noncurrent liabilities are long-term financial obligations.

Table II-17

Structure of Assets and Liabilities

($ in Millions)

Liabilities at the end of FY 2016 totaled $81.2 billion, 67.3 percent of which were current 

liabilities. Current liabilities consist largely of RHBF obligations and short term borrowing. 

The Postal Service continued to accrue the RHBF statutory prefunding obligation which 

totaled $33.9 billion at the end of FY 2016. This includes accruals for FY 2011 through FY 

2016 as the Postal Service was unable to pay down the obligation. This obligation is 41.7 

percent of current liabilities. Most of the net liabilities consist of the RHBF payments, 

workers’ compensation liability ($18.6 billion), and the total net debt owed to the Federal 

Financing Bank ($15 billion).

At the end of FY 2016, the Postal Service recorded a $55.9 billion net deficiency. This 

results from several years of net operating losses starting in FY 2007. Although FY 2016 

and FY 2015 had a net operating income, the slow replacement of fully depreciated capital 

FY 2016 FY 2015 $ Variance FY 2016 FY 2015

Assets

Cash and Cash Equivalents (includes Restricted 

Cash) $ 8,330 $ 6,867 $ 1,463 33.0% 28.6%

Receivables 1,042 930 112 4.1% 3.9%

Supplies and Prepayments 140 118 2 2 0.6% 0.5%

Total Current Assets 9,512 7,915 1,597 37.7% 33.0%

Total Noncurrent Assets 15,707 16,099 (392) 62.3% 67.0%

Total Assets $ 25,219 $ 24,014 $ 1,205 100.0% 100.0%

FY 2016 FY 2015 $ Variance FY 2016 FY 2015

Liabilities

Retiree Health Benefits $ 33,900 $ 28,100 $ 5,800 41.7% 37.8%

Current Portion of Long-Term Debt 10,100 10,100 $ - 12.4% 13.6%

Deferred Revenue-Prepaid Postage 2,253 3,304 $ (1,051) 2.8% 4.4%

Total Current Liabilities 54,615 48,911 $ 5,704 67.3% 65.7%

Workers' Compensation Costs, Noncurrent 18,612 17,410 $ 1,202 22.9% 23.4%

Noncurrent Portion of Long-Term Debt 4,900 4,900 $ - 6.0% 6.6%

Total Noncurrent Liabilities 26,586 26,586 $ - 32.7% 35.7%

Total Liabilities $ 81,201 $ 74,405 $ 6,796 100.0% 100.0%

% of Total Assets

% of Total Liabilities

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40; PRC derived from September, 2016 National Trial Balance.

Decrease in amounts is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 24

assets and the high amount of personnel related liabilities led to continued eroded financial 

sustainability.

Because of its existing outstanding debt the Postal Service must finance all current activity 

with internally generated cash. This limited its ability to invest in much needed equipment 

and other productive assets.

Figure II-5 shows the liquidity mismatch in the mix of the Postal Service’s asset and liability 

structure as of September 30, 2016. The shortage of current assets (38 percent of total 

assets) to cover current liabilities (67 percent of total liabilities) adversely affects the 

financial condition. Noncurrent assets comprise 62 percent of total assets while noncurrent 

liabilities only comprise 33 percent of total liabilities.

Figure II-5

Categories of Assets and Liabilities, FY 2016

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

Assets Liabilities

In millions

Current Noncurrent

During FY 2016, total assets increased by $1.2 billion primarily from a 21.0 percent 

increase in the cash balance. Aging capital assets and the continued restriction in capital 

investment resulted in higher costs in depreciation than investment which resulted in a net 

decrease in fixed assets of $0.4 billion.

Total liabilities increased by $6.8 billion dollars mainly due to personnel related liabilities 

such as the RHBF statutory obligation.

As of September 30, 2016, the Postal Service accumulated a net deficit of $55.9 billion 

which is a $5.6 billion decline from FY 2015. Negative net worth indicates that the Postal 

Service has spent both its initial capital and also the capital of its creditors. It debts are no 

longer secured by its assets.

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40; PRC derived from September 2016 National Trial Balance.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 25

Assets

During FY 2016, assets grew by $1.2 billion. The two primary reasons for this change were 

an increase in cash of $1.5 billion offset by a decline in net property plant and equipment of 

$0.4 billion. The growth in cash reserves is likely the result of limited investment in capital 

infrastructure and equipment and the nonpayment of the statutory prefunding of RHBF.

Figure II-6 illustrates the Postal Service’s capital investment since FY 2007.

Figure II-6

Growth in Capital Assets

-8.0%

-6.0%

-4.0%

-2.0%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016

The Postal Service continues to limit its capital expenditures to necessary safety, customer 

support, and high return investments.20 In order for the Postal Service to be competitive in 

today’s growing e-commerce market, it will have to increase its capital expenditures. The 

Postal Service notes that the current fiscal year’s increase in compensation expense is in 

large part due to increased work hours required by package services. Investment in 

package sorting equipment may eventually reduce costs and make package processing 

more efficient.

Figure II-7 shows the breakdown of the Postal Service assets as of September 30, 2016.

 

20 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 32.

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40; PRC derived from September, 2016 National Trial Balance.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 26

Figure II-7

Postal Service Asset Structure, September 30, 2016

Liabilities

In FY 2016, total liabilities increased by $5.6 billion largely from a higher balance in current 

liabilities. The RHBF accrual increased by $5.8 billion. The Postal Service was unable to pay 

the FY 2016 accrual.

The long-term portion of workers’ compensation increased by $1.2 billion in FY 2016. The 

long term portion of workers’ compensation liability is highly sensitive to discount and 

inflation rates in actuarial adjustment and to new and existing claims.

Figure II-8 shows the current breakdown of the Postal Service’s liabilities as of September 

30, 2016.

Current 

Receivables, 4%

Cash and Cash 

Equivalents, 33%

Noncurrent 

Assets, 63%

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40; PRC derived from September 2016 National Trial Balance.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 27

Figure II-8

Postal Service Liabilities Structure, September 30, 2016

Analysis of Off-Balance Sheet Items

In addition to the various liabilities recorded on the Postal Service’s Balance Sheets, there 

are other liabilities for pensions and retiree health benefits that are not recognized in the 

Postal Service’s financial statements. These liabilities are controlled and administered by 

the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and relate to the assets and liabilities 

attributed to: the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF) and the RHBF. The 

CSRDF provides pension benefits to retired and disabled Federal employees, including 

Postal Service employees covered by CSRS and FERS.21 The Postal Service is required to 

make specified annual payments into the RHBF to prefund the retiree health benefit for its 

current and future retirees.22

In addition, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) requires the Postal 

Service to report certain disclosures provided by OPM regarding the funded status of the 

CSRDF, specifically for postal employees and the Postal Service RHBF. This information is 

then reported in the Postal Service Form 10-K Statements.

 

21 See 5 U.S.C. § 8348

22 See 5 U.S.C. § 8909a

Current

Liabilities, 21%

Long-Term 

Liabilities, 7%

Current Portion, 

47%

Long-Term 

Portion, 25%

Employee Related 

Liabilities, 

72%

Total Liabilities

Breakdown 

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40; PRC derived from September 2016 National Trial Balance, November 15, 

2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 28

CSRS and FERS Pensions

Table II-18 shows the funded status of the Postal Service’s pension obligations.

Table II-18

Funded Status of Postal Service Pension Obligations ($ in Billions)

September 30, 2016

Both pension plans had unfunded liabilities in FY 2016. These unfunded liabilities are 

projected to increase in FY 2017. After the transfer of the FY 2006 CSRDF surplus to the 

RHBF, the CSRDF has had an unfunded liability at the end of almost every fiscal year. 

During FY 2017, the OPM must determine the funded status of CSRDF and any surplus must 

be transferred to the RHBF. However, if there is an unfunded liability, which appears to be 

increasingly likely, OPM must develop a 25 year amortization of the unfunded liability, 

which the Postal Service will have to begin paying in FY 2018.23 If the current trend 

continues and there are no changes in the law governing the determination of the CSRDF 

liability, the amortization payment projected for CSRDF could be over $1 billion annually 

beginning in FY 2017.24

Additionally, if there is an unfunded liability in the Postal Service’s portion of the FERS 

pension, OPM is required to develop a 30-year amortization schedule to fund the unfunded 

liability.25 In FY 2015, OPM notified the Postal Service of the unfunded FERS liability and 

directed the Postal Service to pay an additional $0.2 billion per year for the next 30 years. 

This payment was revised beginning in FY 2016 to $0.3 billion.

 

23 See 5 U.S.C. § 8348(h).

24 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 33. The beginning date for the payments is under review by the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. 

Department of Justice. Id.

25 See 5 U.S.C. § 8423(b)(2).

Fiscal Year Assets

Acturial 

Liabilities

Net CSRS 

Funded 

Status 

(unfunded) Fiscal Year Assets

Actuarial 

Liabilities

Net FERS 

Funded 

Status 

(unfunded) Fiscal Year Assets

Acturial 

Liabilities

Net CSRS and 

FERS Funded 

Status 

(unfunded)

2006 * $ 210.8 $ 193.7 $ 17.1 2006 $ 95.3 $ 86.6 $ 8.7 2006 * $ 306.1 $ 280.3 $ 25.8 

2007 193.8 196.9 (3.1) 2007 63.5 55.1 8.4 2007 257.3 252.0 5.3

2008 195.1 204.1 (9.0) 2008 69.3 62.8 6.5 2008 264.4 266.9 (2.5)

2009 195.3 202.6 (7.3) 2009 75.2 68.3 6.9 2009 270.5 270.9 (0.4)

2010 194.6 193.0 1.6 2010 80.8 69.9 10.9 2010 275.4 262.9 12.5

2011 193.0 210.8 (17.8) 2011 86.6 84.0 2.6 2011 279.6 294.8 (15.2)

2012 190.7 209.5 (18.8) 2012 91.7 90.8 0.9 2012 282.4 300.3 (17.9)

2013 186.6 204.4 (17.8) 2013 96.5 96.6 (0.1) 2013 283.1 301.0 (17.9)

2014 182.1 201.5 (19.4) 2014 100.9 104.5 (3.6) 2014 283.0 306.0 (23.0)

2015 177.4 194.1 (16.7) 2015 105.2 109.0 (3.8) 2015 282.6 303.1 (20.5)

Projected 2016 174.4 191.9 (17.5) Projected 2016 112.1 115.9 (3.8) Projected 2016 286.5 307.8 (21.3)

CSRS Funded Status FERS Funded Status Total USPS Pension Funded Status 

Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K.

Note: This table provides OPM's estimation of the funded status of the CSRS and FERS programs for USPS, as of the end of each fiscal year. Data are actual amounts for FY 2006-2015 and projected amounts for FY 2016.

Assets include securities of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF). Although CSRDF is a single fund and does not maintain separate accounts for individual agencies, Pub. L. 109-435 requires the asset disclosures shown in this table as if the 

funds were separate. Actuarial Liabilities are actual amounts for FY 2006-2015 and projected amounts for FY 2016, as of the end of each fiscal year. These data are prepared by OPM and represent the actuarial present value of the cost of future retiree pension benefits for which 

USPS is responsible and that are attributed to past service; this liability reflects all such projected future costs for current retirees and beneficiaries and a portion of such projected future costs for current workers. Net funded status equals assets minus liabilities.

* FY 2006 CSRS surplus of $17.1 billion transferred to the PSRHBF per PAEA.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 29

Analysis of Statements of Cash Flows

At the end of FY 2016, the Postal Service cash and cash equivalents totaled $8.1 billion $1.5 

billion higher than FY 2015. With an average daily cash requirement of $0.3 billion, this 

balance represents 30 days of operating cash.26 Table II-19 compares the Postal Service’s 

cash flows from FY 2008 to FY 2016.

Table II-19

Postal Service Statements of Cash Flows, FY 2008 - 2016

($ in Millions)

Decrease in amounts is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Postal Service FY 2008 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K.

The Postal Service has reached its borrowing limit since 2012. Its debt includes two 

revolving credit facilities that are fully drawn. Its fixed interest rate debt as of September 

30, 2016, consists of short-term borrowings from the Federal Financing Bank of $6.1 

billion.

Table II-20 illustrates the current liquidity position of the Postal Service with maximized 

statutory limit on borrowing depleted and its liquidity limited to cash and cash equivalents.

 

26 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 31.

FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Net income/(loss) $ (2,806) $ (3,794) $ (8,505) $ (5,067) $ (15,906) $ (4,977) $ (5,508) $ (5,060) $ (5,591)

Non-cash items and other cash flows 2,367 5,367 5,213 5,561 15,474 5,912 8,822 7,939 8,327

Cash flows from investing activities:

 Decrease (increase) in restricted cash (10) (28) (79) 6 6 1 3 (20)

 Purchase of property and equipment (1,995) (1,839) (1,393) (1,190) (705) (667) (781) (1,222) (1,428)

 Proceeds from sale of property and equipment 5 7 3 3 7 0 137 148 158 129 120 206

Net cash used in investing activities (1,938) (1,806) (1,323) (1,063) (585) (588) (586) (1,089) (1,242)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 Increase (decrease) in debt 3,000 3,000 1,800 1,000 2,000 - - - -

 Payments for capital leases (29) (46) (50) (51) (51) (59) (58) (62) (51)

 U.S. government appropriations - expensed (61) (64) (63) (63) (129) (48) (90) - -

Net cash (used) provided by financing activities 2,910 2,890 1,687 886 1,820 (107) (148) (62) (51)

Net increase/(decrease) in cash 533 2,657 (2,928) 317 803 240 2,580 1,728 1,443

Cash balance beginning of year 899 1,432 4,089 966 1,283 2,086 2,326 4,906 6,634

Cash balance end of year $ 1,432 $ 4,089 $ 1,161 $ 1,283 $ 2,086 $ 2,326 $ 4,906 $ 6,634 $ 8,077

Debt outstanding $ 7,200 $ 10,200 $ 12,000 $ 13,000 $ 15,000 $ 15,000 $ 15,000 $ 15,000 $ 15,000
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 30

Table II-20

Total Postal Service Liquidity

End of FY 2016 Compared to FY 2015

FY 2016 FY 2015

Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 8,077 $ 6,634

Current Portion of Debt 10,100 10,100

Long-Term Debt 4,900 4,900

Total Debt $ 15,000 $ 15,000

Statutory Debt Limit 15,000 15,000

Available Debt - -

Total Liquidity (Cash + Available Debt) $ 8,077 $ 6,634

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 31

Chapter 3. Volume, Revenue, and Cost 

Trends

Overview

This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the volume, revenue, and cost trends for each 

of the Postal Service’s products and services. The first section focuses on the overall trends 

for Market Dominant and Competitive products and services. It also describes the 

calculation of attributable and institutional costs and discusses changes in the percentage 

of institutional cost to total cost, referred to as institutional cost share.

The second section provides a comparison of volume, revenue, and cost between FY 2015 

and FY 2016. It also includes a trend analysis that highlights changes in volume, revenue, 

and cost that have occurred since FY 2007. FY 2007 is used as the base year because it 

reflects the mail reclassifications that resulted from the Postal Accountability and 

Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA). In cases where average unit attributable cost changed 

significantly, the Commission provides an analysis by cost segment and/or component.

Overall Volume, Revenue, and Cost Trends

Market Dominant Products and Services 

Table III-1 illustrates the changes in total volume, revenue, attributable cost, and 

contribution to institutional cost for Market Dominant products and services between FY 

2015 and FY 2016.

Table III-1

Market Dominant Volume, Revenue, and Cost 

 

 Negative amount is denoted by ( ).

 Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-ACR2015/1; Library Reference

 USPS-FY16-42

 

FY 2016 FY 2015 Variance

Volume (Millions) 149,824 150,198 (0.2)%

Revenue ($ Millions) 50,894 51,647 (1.5)%

Attributable Cost ($ Millions) 28,267 28,283 (0.1)%

Contribution to Institutional Cost ($ Millions) 22,626 23,364 (3.2)%
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 32

Total Market Dominant revenue decreased by 1.5 percent in FY 2016, after two consecutive 

years of growth. The decrease in revenue can be primarily attributed to the removal of the 

temporary surcharge the Commission granted to the Postal Service in January 2014 to 

offset the loss in total contribution associated with volume losses due to the Great 

Recession of 2008–2009. The surcharge expired on April 10, 2016. However, the continued 

loss in Market Dominant volume during FY 2016 also had a negative effect on revenue. 

Total attributable cost for Market Dominant products also decreased; however, the 

decrease was slight and significantly less than the decrease in revenue. Total attributable 

cost for Market Dominant products was 0.1 percent lower than in FY 2015. Consequently, 

the total Market Dominant contribution to institutional cost declined by $738 million.

In FY 2016, Market Dominant products accounted for 97.1 percent of total mail volume, a 

drop of 0.3 percent from FY 2015. Revenue from these products as a percentage of total 

revenue decreased from 74.9 percent to 71.2 percent. Market Dominant attributable cost, 

as a percentage of total attributable cost, decreased slightly from 70.3 percent in FY 2015 

to 69.3 percent in FY 2016.

Several Market Dominant products failed to generate sufficient revenue to cover 

attributable cost. The total negative contribution to institutional cost from these products 

amounted to over $1.3 billion, about $64 million more than in FY 2015. Five domestic mail 

products failed to cover their attributable cost: Standard Mail Flats ($604.1 million), 

Standard Mail Parcels ($29.5 million), Periodicals Outside County ($505.2 million), 

Periodicals In-County ($25.3 million), and Package Services Media Mail/Library Mail ($87.8 

million). In addition, First-Class Mail Inbound Letter Post had a negative contribution.

The Commission continues to encourage the Postal Service to reduce cost and to use the 

pricing flexibility afforded in the PAEA to improve these products’ cost coverage.27

Market Dominant Volume Trends

Figure III-1 shows the total volume for Market Dominant products over the last 8 years. 

Since FY 2007, volume has declined by 60.8 billion pieces.

 

27 See FY 2015 ACD at 42-69; FY 2014 ACD at 33-57; FY 2013 ACD at 5-61; FY 2012 ACD at 15-22, 88-96, 108-117; FY 2010 ACD at 90-94, 103-108, 

116-118.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 33

Figure III-1

Market Dominant Volume, FY 2007 - FY 2016

First-Class Mail and Standard Mail accounted for 95.6 percent of total Market Dominant 

volume. First-Class Mail volume declined by 34 billion pieces since FY 2007, the rate of 

decline averaging 4.7 percent a year. However, over the past 3 years, the decline has 

slowed significantly averaging only about 2.3 percent annually. Although Standard Mail 

volume declined by 23 billion pieces since FY 2007, over the last 5 years Standard Mail 

volume remained relatively steady, with minor fluctuations from year to year. In FY 2016, 

Standard Mail volume grew 839.7 million pieces, representing an increase of 1.0 percent 

from FY 2015.

Market Dominant Revenue and Cost Trends

Total Market Dominant revenue and attributable cost have also declined since FY 2007. 

Total revenue declined by 19.4 percent and total attributable cost declined by 24.6 percent. 

Figure III-2 compares revenue and attributable cost since FY 2007.

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; FY 

2007- FY 2014 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 34

Figure III-2

Market Dominant Revenue and Attributable Cost, FY 2007 - FY 2016

Total Market Dominant revenue decreased slightly in FY 2016. The decrease in revenue can 

be mostly attributed to the decrease in rates when the exigent surcharge expired in April

2016. The Market Dominant exigent surcharge added $2.1 billion in additional revenue in 

FY 2015 compared with $1.0 billion in additional revenue in FY 2016. 

As shown in Figure III-3, on a unit basis, average revenue and cost increased since FY 2007. 

Market Dominant average unit revenue increased 4.0 cents and Market Dominant average 

unit attributable cost increased 1.1 cents over that period. During FY 2016, unit revenue 

decreased by 0.4 cents, while unit attributable cost remained nearly unchanged, increasing 

by less than a tenth of a percent. Institutional cost per piece increased by 1.7 cents from FY 

2015. Consequently, Market Dominant average total cost per piece increased by 4.2 percent 

in FY 2016. 

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; 

Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 35

Figure III-3

Market Dominant Average Unit Revenue and Cost, FY 2007 - FY 2016

Competitive Products and Services

Both volume and revenue for Competitive products increased in FY 2016. Table III-2 

compares the total volume, revenue, and cost of these products and services between 

FY 2015 and FY 2016. 

Table III-2

Competitive Volume, Revenue, and Cost

 

 

Volume grew 13.6 percent in FY 2016, while revenue grew 12.6 percent or just over $2 

billion. Attributable cost grew by 4.9 percent and institutional cost contribution grew 32.8 

percent. As shown in Figure III-4, the Competitive products’ share of total Postal Service 

revenue, attributable cost, and contribution to institutional cost have more than doubled 

since FY 2007.

Source: The Postal Regulatory Commission derived from Postal Service Cost and Revenue Analysis (CRA) Reports, FY 2007 - FY 2016.

FY 2016 FY 2015 Variance

Volume (Millions) 4,499 3,959 13.6%

Revenue ($ Millions) 18,495 16,428 12.6%

Attributable Cost ($ Millions) 12,490 11,905 4.9%

Contribution to Institutional Cost ($ Millions) 6,005 4,523 32.8%

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Library Reference USPS-FY16-42.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 36

Figure III-4

Competitive Percentage Share of Total Postal Service Revenue, Cost, 

and Institutional Cost, FY 2007 - FY 2016

Figure III-5 illustrates the changes in average unit revenue and cost from FY 2007 to 

FY 2016. Since FY 2007, average unit revenue for Competitive products and services 

exceeded both the average unit attributable cost and the required average unit institutional 

cost.28 In FY 2016, the average unit revenue decreased for the second year in a row, though 

the decline was less than in FY 2015. The decrease from FY 2015 to FY 2016 was just 0.9 

percent compared with a more than 6 percent decline between FY 2014 and FY 2015. 

The average unit attributable cost declined 7.7 percent from FY 2015, while the average 

unit contribution increased 16.8 percent in FY 2016.

 

 

28 The current minimum required contribution to institutional cost for Competitive products is 5.5 percent of total institutional cost. See 39 

U.S.C. § 3633(a)(3); 39 C.F.R. § 3015.7(c). The “required average unit institutional cost” is the minimum contribution divided by the total volume 

of Competitive products.

Source: Postal Service Cost and Revenue Analysis (CRA) Reports, FY 2007 - FY 2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 37

Figure III-5

 Competitive Average Unit Revenue and Cost, FY 2007 - FY 2016

The significant increase in Competitive product volume has resulted in total attributable 

cost for Competitive products increasing in every cost segment, more than doubling since 

FY 2008. Total contribution to institutional cost from Competitive products continues to 

increase, exceeding the required contribution level of 5.5 percent each year. As shown in 

Figure III-6, Competitive products’ contribution has increased significantly over the past 5 

years.

Source: Postal Service Cost and Revenue Analysis (CRA) Reports, FY 2007 - FY 2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 38

Figure III-6

Competitive Contribution to Institutional Cost, FY 2007 - FY 2016

Attributable and Institutional Cost Relationships

39 U.S.C. § 3622(c)(2) defines attributable cost as the “direct and indirect postal costs 

attributable to each class or type of mail service through reliably identified causal 

relationships plus that portion of all other costs of the Postal Service reasonably assignable 

to such class or type[.]” In Order No. 3506, the Commission revised the methodology for 

determining attributable cost to include inframarginal costs, developed as part of the 

estimation of incremental costs29. Before that order, attributable cost only included the 

sum of volume-variable costs, which rise as volume increases and fall as volume decreases,

and product-specific fixed costs, which are costs caused by a specific product, but do not 

vary with volume.

The Postal Service was unable to fully implement the Commission’s order in its FY 2016 

Annual Compliance Report. Specifically, the Postal Service was unable to develop 

incremental costs for International Mail, certain Standard Mail products, and Negotiated 

Service Agreements (NSAs). FY 2016 ACR at 7-10. In this chapter, the Commission will 

continue to use the previous methodology to evaluate product costs for two reasons. First, 

as noted above, the implementation of Order No. 3506 is not complete, making comparison 

 

29 Docket No. RM2016-2, Order Concerning United Parcel Service, Inc.’s Proposed Changes to Postal Service Costing Methodologies (UPS 

Proposals One, Two, and Three), September 9, 2016 (Order No. 3506).

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; 

Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 39

of products’ attributable costs unfeasible. Second, the significant change in methodology 

impedes the Commission’s ability to provide meaningful comparison of FY 2016 results 

with the attributable costs in FY 2015, which were developed before the new methodology 

for attributable cost was introduced. Consequently, institutional cost, the cost that remains 

after attributable cost is determined, will include the inframarginal cost. 

Attributable cost is distributed to products using distribution keys that reflect the 

underlying cost driver. The Postal Service assigns attributable cost for each product 

according to methodologies approved by the Commission. Changes to those methodologies 

are reviewed by the Commission, and members of the general public are given the 

opportunity to comment in these dockets.

In addition to the change in the methodology for attributable costs discussed above, in FY 

2016, the Commission approved two changes in cost attribution methodology, both of 

which pertain to International Mail products. The first modification involves a change to

Revenue, Pieces, and Weight (RPW) reporting on the System for International Revenue and 

Volume, Outbound-International Origin-Destination Information System (SIRVO), which 

affects the revenue reported for certain products.30 The second involves the distribution of 

international delivery cost.31 The Postal Service implemented these changes in its FY 2016 

ACR.

Institutional cost cannot be attributed to a specific product or service and is equal to total 

cost minus total attributable cost. Sometimes referred to as “fixed cost,” it is more 

accurately characterized as “common costs” because it includes costs that are variable, but 

not causally related to an individual product. Institutional costs include costs for carrier 

network travel time, the statutory prefunding payment into the RHBF, and various 

administrative costs. Holding all else equal, a higher mail volume results in a lower 

institutional cost share and a lower mail volume results in a higher institutional cost share.

The Commission has previously discussed how institutional cost share changes as volume 

increases and decreases.32 The Commission has also discussed how changes in operational 

factors such as volume mix and volume weighted by the average attributable cost of 

individual products will also change the institutional cost share. There are also nonoperational factors such as changes to GAAP and Commission approved costing 

methodologies which have an effect on the ratio. Institutional costs are primarily driven by 

the delivery network costs and prior year annuitant health and workers’ compensation 

costs. Therefore, institutional costs will increase or decrease depending on increases in 

delivery points or changes due to restructuring routes, and estimated accruals for prior 

 

30 See Docket No. RM2016-7, Order No. 3377, Order Approving Analytical Principles Used in Periodic Reporting (Proposal One) June 17, 2016.

31 See Docket No, RM2016-10, Order No. 3621, Order Approving Analytical Principles Used in Periodic Reporting (Proposal Two), November 17, 

2016.

32 Postal Regulatory Commission Financial Analysis of United States Postal Service Financial Results and 10-K Statement, Fiscal Year 2014, April 

1, 2015, at 35-37 (FY 2014 Postal Regulatory Commission Financial Report).
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 40

year annuitant health benefits and workers’ compensation. Table III-3 shows the causes of 

the changes in institutional costs each year since 2007. The largest drivers of the changes 

have been prior year workers’ compensation and annuitant health benefits costs rather 

than changes in operational costs. 

Table III-3

Main Sources of Change in Institutional Costs

Negative amount is denoted by ( ).

Table III-4 illustrates the calculation of volume-variable and institutional costs. Total 

volume-variable cost is calculated by multiplying total cost by the volume variability 

ratio.33 Average unit attributable cost is calculated by adding the volume-variable cost to 

the product specific cost and dividing this total by total volume.34

 

33 The volume variability ratio and the method used to determine it varies depending on the cost segment and the cost drivers.

34 Unit attributable component costs for products are discussed later in this chapter. Those unit costs are determined after component costs are 

distributed to products using a distribution key. 

FY 2016 FY 2015 FY 2014 FY 2013 FY 2012 FY 2011 FY 2010 FY 2009 FY 2008 FY 2007

($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000)

Workers' Compensation $ 965,985 $ (654,814) $ 1,290,341 $ (2,600,835) $ (99,435) $ (48,990) $ 1,189,647 $ 960,166 $ 409,104 $ (445,382)

Annuitant Health Benefits 388,908 27,737 332,737 (5,124,055) 11,471,877 (5,109,985) 4,460,307 (3,631,022) 122,966 3,759,186

City and Rural Carriers 387,579 465,085 (98,278) 42,613 314,106 281,666 122,766 (53,811) 141,027 283,759

Annuitant Life Insurance 149,024 102,998 2,664 407 309 (276) 563 686 41 (797)

Transportation 103,181 (31,117) (23,560) 15,148 21,239 46,419 7,033 (24,245) 75,049 13,007

Supplies and Services 116,728 19,641 43,336 113,029 (56,587) 114,221 (100,798) (76,169) (26,340) (32,088)

Clerks and Mailhandlers 99,575 239,558 54,748 28,205 (35,478) (110,222) (203,979) (255,030) (181,850) (33,232)

Other 397,208 (435,196) (512,303) 187,858 (498,105) 362,786 (160,139) (194,157) (188,078) 260,189

Total Change $2,608,187 $ (266,108) $ 1,089,686 $ (7,337,630) $ 11,117,927 $ (4,464,383) $ 5,315,400 $ (3,273,583) $ 351,920 $ 3,804,642

Source: U.S. Postal Service Cost Segments and Components Reports, FY 2007 - FY 2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 41

Table III-4

Calculation of Average Attributable and Institutional Costs

Figure III-7 shows mail preparation and delivery costs from FY 2006 to FY 2016.35 From FY 

2006 to FY 2015, mail processing cost, including City Delivery In-Office cost, declined in a 

large part due to cost reduction programs directed at mail processing cost and the 

continued decline in mail volumes. By FY 2010, delivery costs exceeded mail processing 

costs. In FY 2016, mail processing cost remained nearly unchanged compared with FY 

2015. 

Delivery cost, which includes city carrier street time cost and rural carrier cost, also 

increased from FY 2006. City carrier street time cost increased 14 percent since FY 2006. 

Because carriers must travel the same delivery route regardless of the amount of mail they 

carry, city carrier street time cost does not vary significantly with volume. Instead, the 

number of delivery points is the main cost driver of city carrier street cost. Rural carrier 

cost also increased, growing 24 percent over the same 11-year period.

 

35 For purposes of this analysis, mail preparation includes mail processing and city carrier in-office costs. Delivery includes city carrier street 

costs and rural carrier costs.

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

[2] x [3] [4] / [1] [2] - [4]

Total Volume 

(000)

Total Cost 

($ in 000)

Percent 

Volume 

Variable

Attributable 

(Volume 

Variable) Costs 

($ in 000)

Attributable 

(Volume 

Variable) Cost 

per Piece (Cents)

Total 

Institutional 

(Fixed) Costs 

($ in 000)

Postmasters 154,235,007 1,599,973 17.6% 281,369 0.002 1,318,604

Supervision 154,235,007 3,307,439 54.1% 1,787,820 0.012 1,519,619

Mail Processing 154,235,007 11,053,585 94.4% 10,431,491 0.068 622,094

City Carrier In-Office 154,235,007 3,522,299 83.5% 2,941,887 0.019 580,412

City Carrier Street 154,235,007 12,385,607 36.3% 4,490,612 0.029 7,894,995

Rural Carriers 154,235,007 7,443,768 34.3% 2,553,458 0.017 4,890,310

Custodial and Maintenance 154,235,007 3,106,226 71.1% 2,207,028 0.014 899,198

Transportation 154,235,007 6,992,446 86.7% 6,065,647 0.039 926,799

Administration 154,235,007 14,132,308 20.3% 2,863,366 0.019 11,268,942

Other Segments 154,235,007 13,577,438 53.0% 7,193,140 0.047 6,384,298

Total 154,235,007 77,121,089 40,815,818 0.264 36,305,271

Source: Library Reference USPS-FY16-31.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 42

Figure III-7

Mail Preparation and Delivery Costs, FY 2006 - FY 2016

In FY 2016, total attributable cost increased as declines in Market Dominant volumes 

slowed and Competitive product volumes increased. Table III-5 shows the change in 

attributable cost by major cost segment and component. The largest increase in 

attributable cost was in domestic transportation, increasing by over $400 million. 

Compared with FY 2015, highway and air transportation costs increased approximately 5 

percent and 15 percent, respectively. These increases are primarily due to substantial 

growth in shipping and package volumes and the Postal Service’s efforts to improve service 

performance.36

Table III-5

Changes in Attributable Cost by Segment and Component ($ in Millions)

Source: Library Reference USPS-FY16-24; Library Reference USPS-FY16-31;

 Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference USPS-FY15-21: Library Reference USPS-FY15-31.

 

36 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 29.

Source: U.S. Postal Service Cost Segments and Components Reports, FY 2006 - FY 2016.

FY 2016 FY 2015 Variance

Mail Processing $ 17,394 $ 17,402 $ (8)

Window Service 1,369 1,336 33

City Carriers 10,013 10,004 9

Rural Carriers 3,188 3,097 91

Domestic Transportation 5,423 4,983 441

Other Segments 3,428 3,438 (10)

Total Attributable $ 40,816 $ 40,260 $ 556
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 43

Market Dominant Volume, Revenue, and Cost 

Trends by Class

First-Class Mail

Six products are assigned to First-Class Mail: Single-Piece Letters/Postcards; Presorted 

Letters/Postcards; Flats; Parcels; Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International; and 

Inbound Letter Post. For comparison purposes in this report, the products have been 

grouped into letters, flats, and “all others.”

FIRST-CLASS MAIL LETTERS COMPARED WITH FY 2015

Table III-6 summarizes the FY 2016 change in total volume and revenue for First-Class Mail 

Letters. First-Class Mail Letters volume continued to decline in FY 2016, despite the 

decrease in price resulting from the elimination of the exigent surcharge midway through 

FY 2016. For Single-Piece Letters, the rate of decline was nearly unchanged from FY 2015. 

Presorted Letters volume decreased slightly, but the rate of decline exceeds that in FY 

2015, when it was 0.2 percent. Revenue for First-Class Mail Single-Piece Letters decreased 

from FY 2015. The primary reason for the drop in revenue is the elimination of the exigent 

surcharge which decreased the price of a stamp by 2 cents. The revenue for Presorted 

Letters was also negatively affected by the elimination of the surcharge, falling 1.0 percent 

from FY 2015. 

Table III-6

First-Class Mail Letters Volume and Revenue ($ in Millions)

Negative amount is denoted by ( ).

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.

Table III-7 summarizes the FY 2016 change in total attributable cost for First-Class Mail 

Letters. Total attributable cost for First-Class Mail Letters declined in FY 2016. Loss of 

volume was the primary contributor to the reduction in attributable cost; however, the unit 

attributable cost for First-Class Mail Letters also declined in FY 2016, indicating that the 

decrease in attributable cost was not entirely caused by the change in volume. It is notable 

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Single-Piece 18,910 19,737 (827) -4.2% 9,534 10,039 (505) -5.0%

Presorted 37,746 38,005 (259) -0.7% 14,889 15,035 (146) -1.0%

Total Letters 56,656 57,742 (1,086) -1.9% 24,423 25,074 (651) -2.6%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions)
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 44

that the overall decrease in unit attributable cost for First-Class Mail Letters is wholly due 

to the presort category, as the unit attributable cost of the Single-Piece category increased 

by 4.7 percent from FY 2015. These changes are discussed in further detail below.

Table III-7

First-Class Mail Letters Attributable Costs ($ in Millions)

Negative amount is denoted by ( ).

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.

TRENDS IN FIRST-CLASS MAIL LETTERS

Changes in the use of postal services continue to erode First-Class Mail volume as 

consumers switch to electronic channels for banking and payment of services.37 Figure III-8 

illustrates the rate of decline for First-Class Mail volume. Over the last 3 years, the rate of 

decline for First-Class Mail Single-Piece Letters has remained at approximately 4 percent, 

while the rate of decline for First-Class Mail Presorted Letters increased slightly after 5 

years of decline. The decline in First-Class Mail Presorted Letters volume may also be 

attributable in part to decreased economic activity compared with FY 2015.38

 

37 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 8.

38 Real GDP increased 1.6 percent in 2016 compared with an increase of 2.6 percent in 2015. Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and 

Product Accounts Gross Domestic Product: Fourth Quarter and Annual 2016 (Second Estimate).

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Single-Piece 5,322 5,304 18 0.3% 28.1 26.9 1.3 4.7%

Presorted 4,404 4,703 (299) -6.4% 11.7 12.4 (0.7) -5.7%

Total Letters 9,726 10,007 (281) -2.8% 16.8 17.3 (0.5) -2.8%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 45

Figure III-8

First-Class Letters Percentage Change in Volume, FY 2008 - FY 2016

Figure III-9 shows the change in the average unit attributable cost for First-Class Mail 

Letters. There is no perceivable trend for First-Class Mail Presorted Letters unit 

attributable cost. The unit attributable cost has increased 3 of the last 5 years, increasing 

3.7 percent in FY 2012, 1.2 percent in FY 2014, and 3.1 percent in FY 2015. The unit 

attributable cost declined in FY 2013 and FY 2016, 4.1 percent and 5.7 percent, 

respectively. The Postal Service, while investigating an anomaly in First-Class Flat’s unit 

costs, found an In-Office Cost System (IOCS) coding error that affected First-Class Mail

Letters as well. Correcting the error led to a shift in costs from First-Class Presort Letters to 

First-Class Single Piece Letters.39

 

39 See USPS-FY16-37, In-Office Cost System Documentation, page 1, December 29, 2016.

Source: Postal Service Revenue, Pieces and Weight (RPW) Reports , FY 2008 - FY 2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 46

Figure III-9

First-Class Mail Letters Percentage Change in Average Unit Attributable Cost 

FY 2009 - FY 2016

Table III-8 compares the average unit attributable cost for Presorted Letters by cost 

component or segment for FY 2012 through FY 2016. The unit attributable cost for 

Presorted Letters decreased overall in FY 2016. Mail processing and city carrier in-office 

unit costs for Presorted Letters decreased by more than 10 percent in FY 2016, reversing 2

years of unit cost increases. Both of these segments represent mail processing activities as 

carrier in-office costs represent time spent sorting mail for delivery. City carrier street unit 

cost increased in FY 2016 after decreases in FY 2014 and FY 2015, but, rural carrier unit 

cost remained unchanged after 2 years of increases. 

Table III-8

First-Class Mail Presorted Letters Unit Attributable Cost by Segment 

FY 2012 - FY 2016

-8.0%

-6.0%

-4.0%

-2.0%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Percentage Change

Fiscal Year

Single-Piece Presorted

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; 

Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.

2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012

Mail Processing 5.13 5.87 5.55 5.49 5.78 5.51 -12.6% 5.7% 1.2% -5.0% 4.9%

City Carrier In-Office 1.45 1.63 1.52 1.40 1.48 1.51 -10.8% 7.2% 8.7% -5.6% -2.1%

City Carrrier Street 2.29 2.21 2.38 2.41 2.37 2.19 4.0% -7.2% -1.6% 2.1% 8.0%

Rural Carriers 0.82 0.82 0.81 0.78 0.90 0.93 0.0% 2.1% 4.1% -14.2% -2.7%

Transportation 1.34 1.27 1.17 1.22 1.23 1.16 6.1% 8.4% -4.3% -0.4% 6.0%

All Other 0.52 0.45 0.49 0.53 0.62 0.62 15.5% -7.2% -7.2% -14.4% -0.1%

Cost Segment or Change in Unit Attributable Cost

Component

Unit Attributable Cost

Source: The Postal Regulatory Commission derived from Postal Service Cost Segment and Component Reports, FY 2011 to FY 2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 47

FIRST-CLASS MAIL FLATS COMPARED WITH FY 2015

Table III-9 shows the total volume and revenue for First-Class Mail Flats. First-Class Mail 

Presorted Flats volume decreased slightly after increasing in FY 2015. Total Flats revenue 

declined in FY 2016, in part due to the reduction in price resulting from the removal of the 

Market Dominant exigent surcharge and in part due to the decline in volume.

Table III-9

First-Class Mail Flats Volume and Revenue

 Negative amount is denoted by ( ).

Table III-10 summarizes the FY 2016 change in attributable cost. Total attributable cost for 

First-Class Mail Flats fell 1.8 percent from FY 2015. However, this reduction did not keep 

pace with the reduction in volume. Thus, on a unit basis, costs increased 4.3 percent. As 

discussed above, the FY 2015 attribution of Single-Piece Flats and Presorted Flats was 

erroneous due to an IOCS coding error. The correction shifted costs from Presorted Flats to 

Single-Piece Flats. In total, the Flats product’s attributable cost decreased from FY 2015. It 

is unclear how much of the decrease was due to volume losses and how much was due to 

the correction. The impact of the correction is more evident when comparing FY 2016 unit 

costs with the FY 2015 results. The increase in unit attributable cost is due entirely to the 

large increase in the unit attributable cost of Single-Piece Flats as the decrease in the unit 

attributable cost of Presorted Flats was not sufficient to offset the unit attributable cost 

increase of Single-Piece Flats. 

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Single-Piece 961 1,057 (96) -9.1% 1,575 1,736 (161) -9.3%

Presorted 609 611 (2) -0.4% 631 627 4 0.7%

Total Flats 1,570 1,669 (99) -5.9% 2,206 2,363 (156) -6.6%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions)

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 48

Table III-10

First-Class Mail Flats Attributable Costs

Negative amount is denoted ( ).

TRENDS IN FIRST-CLASS MAIL FLATS

Total Flats volume has been on a decline for years, with First-Class Mail Flats being no 

exception. Figure III-10 compares the percentage change in First-Class Mail Flats volume 

from FY 2008 to FY 2016. Single-Piece Flats volume continues to erode. First-Class Mail 

Flats volume decreased by 54 percent since FY 2008. Most of the volume loss can be 

attributed to First-Class Mail Single-Piece Flats as both the volume and the rate of decrease 

for that category exceed that of Presorted Flats. Since 2008, Single-Piece Flats have 

decreased 63 percent, compared with a 21 percent volume decrease for Presorted Flats. 

Figure III-10

Percentage Change in First-Class Mail Flats Volume, FY 2008 - FY 2016

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Single-Piece 1,098 1,000 98 9.8% 114.3 94.6 19.7 20.8%

Presorted 433 559 (127) -22.7% 71.0 91.5 (20.5) -22.4%

Total Flats 1,531 1,559 (29) -1.8% 97.5 93.4 4.0 4.3%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)

-20.0%

-15.0%

-10.0%

-5.0%

0.0%

5.0%

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Percent Change

Fiscal Year

Single-Piece Presorted

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.

Source: Postal Service Revenue, Pieces, and Weight Reports FY 2008 – FY 2016. 
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 49

Figure III-11 compares the average unit attributable cost for both First-Class Mail SinglePiece and Presorted Flats since FY 2008. The average unit attributable cost for First-Class 

Mail Single-Piece Flats has increased significantly over that time. However, the increase in 

unit cost for FY 2016 exceeds all annual increases since FY 2008. Conversely, First-Class 

Mail Presorted Flats unit attributable cost decreased significantly to the lowest level in 5

years.

Figure III-11

First-Class Mail Flats Average Unit Attributable Cost, FY 2008 - FY 2016

Table III-11 compares the average unit attributable cost by cost segment or component of 

First-Class Mail Single-Piece Flats and First-Class Mail Presorted Flats for FY 2010, FY 

2015, and FY 2016. This unit attributable cost includes all of the indirect cost that is 

piggybacked to the direct cost.40

From FY 2010 to FY 2016, unit attributable cost for all cost segments increased with the 

exception of city carrier in-office unit attributable cost for First-Class Mail Single-Piece 

Flats. The largest increases in First-Class Mail Presorted Flats and First-Class Mail SinglePiece Flats unit attributable cost have been in delivery (city and rural delivery), 

transportation, and “all other.” 

 

40 In addition to the direct costs, there are other “indirect” costs associated with the direct cost component or cost segment. Some examples of 

these indirect costs are Cost Segment 3 Administrative Clerks, Cost Segment 12 Vehicle Service Costs, Cost Segment 15 Rents and Fuel and 

Utilities, and Cost Segment 18 Servicewide Labor Costs (such as workers’ compensation, etc.). These “indirect” costs are referred to as 

“piggybacked” costs and are developed in Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference USPS-FY15-24. The unit attributable cost by cost segment or 

component presented in this report are “piggybacked” costs, unless stated otherwise. 

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Cents per Piece

Fiscal Year

 Single-Piece Presorted

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LRACR2015/1;Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library 

Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 50

The FY 2016 and FY 2015 First-Class Mail Flats’ unit attributable costs are not comparable 

because the FY 2015 results are erroneous. In FY 2015, the unit mail processing cost was 

higher for First-Class Mail Presorted Flats than for First-Class Mail Single-Piece Flats. As 

the Commission noted, such a result is counter-intuitive.41 The average unit attributable 

cost of First-Class Mail Presorted Flats should be lower than First-Class Mail Single-Piece 

Flats because workshared mail requires less handling than single-piece mail. This is 

particularly true for mail processing cost. The Postal Service concurred with the 

Commission’s assessment and indicated that it would investigate the source of the 

anomalous unit cost. 42

Similarly, in FY 2015, city carrier in-office unit attributable cost was higher for First-Class 

Mail Presorted Flats than for First-Class Mail Single-Piece Flats. The Postal Service 

acknowledged that the “magnitude of the difference is unexpectedly large.” Id. However, it 

explained that the difference in costs is in part due to “a higher fraction of First-Class Mail 

Presorted Flats’ RPW volume being delivered on city carrier routes relative to Single[-

]Piece Flats.” Id.

As noted in the discussion regarding First-Class letters, the Postal Service found a coding 

error in IOCS data processing. The Postal Service remedied the error as reflected in the FY 

2016 unit attributable mail processing and city carrier in-office costs for First-Class Mail 

Presorted Flats and First-Class Mail Single-Piece Flats. The resulting unit costs are more in 

line with expectations. In FY 2016, the unit attributable mail processing cost for First-Class 

Mail Single-Piece Flats exceeded the unit attributable mail processing cost for First-Class 

Mail Presorted Flats by 24.6 cents. Additionally, the differential between First-Class Mail 

Presorted Flats and First-Class Mail Single-Piece Flats city carrier in-office unit attributable 

cost decreased from 6.8 cents in FY 2015 to 1.1 cents in FY 2016. 

 

41

 Docket No. ACR2015, Chairman’s Information Request No. 16, February 22, 2016, question 4.

42 Responses of the United States Postal Service to Questions 1-4 of Chairman’s Information Request No. 16, February 29, 2016, question 4.a,

(Responses to CHIR No. 16).
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 51

Table III-11

First-Class Mail Flats Unit Attributable Cost by Segment or Component 

FY 2010, FY 2015, and FY 2016

ALL OTHER FIRST-CLASS MAIL COMPARED WITH FY 2015

Table III-12 shows the volume and revenue for First-Class Mail “all others.” With the 

exception of Cards and Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International, volume in 

every category of First-Class Mail “all others” increased from last year. The declines were in 

First-Class Mail Postcards and Parcels. 

Table III-12

All Other First-Class Mail Volume and Revenue

Table III-13 presents the changes in total attributable cost and average unit attributable 

cost for “all others” First-Class Mail between FY 2015 and FY 2016. As seen in the table, 

only the attributable cost of Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International decreased 

from FY 2015. However, on a unit cost basis, it increased 11.3 percent. Conversely, Inbound 

Letter Post attributable cost increased, but decreased on a unit basis. First-Class Mail 

SinglePiece Presort Diff.SinglePiece Presort Diff.SinglePiece Presort Diff.

Mail Processing 57.1 37.8 19.3 51.3 56.4 (5.1) 63.1 38.5 24.6

City Carrier In-Office 11.5 11.4 0.2 8.6 15.4 (6.8) 11.3 12.5 (1.1)

City Carrrier Street 5.8 3.0 2.8 6.7 3.7 3.0 7.6 4.2 3.3

Rural Carriers 2.2 2.4 (0.2) 3.5 2.8 0.7 3.7 2.7 1.0

Transportation 11.0 8.3 2.7 15.7 10.2 5.4 18.8 10.3 8.5

All Other 6.9 2.0 4.9 8.8 3.0 5.8 9.7 2.8 6.9

Total 94.5 64.9 29.6 94.6 91.5 3.1 114.3 71.0 43.3

Cost Segment or 

Component

2010 2015 2016

Negative amount is denoted by ().

Source: The Postal Regulatory Commission derived from Postal Service Cost Segment and Component Reports, FY 2010, FY 2015 and FY 2016. Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Total Cards 2,993 3,008 (16) -0.5% 865 872 (7) -0.8%

Parcels 254 200 54 26.9% 712 546 167 30.5%

Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International 172 212 (40) -19.0% 262 315 (54) -17.1%

Inbound Letter Post 392 318 74 23.1% 266 251 16 6.3%

Inbound International NSAs 214 155 58 37.4% 324 177 147 83.3%

Total Other First-Class Mail 4,024 3,894 129 3.3% 2,429 2,161 268 12.4%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions)

Negative amount is denoted by (). Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 52

Parcels average unit attributable cost decreased 11.5 cents over FY 2015, representing a 

4.7 percent decrease. Due to the small volume of “all others,” less than 1.0 percent of the 

total volume of First-Class Mail, its impact on the unit attributable cost for the class is 

minimal. 

Table III-13

All Other First-Class Mail Attributable Cost and Average Unit Attributable Cost

Standard Mail

Standard Mail is comprised of seven products: Letters; Flats; Parcels; Carrier Route; High 

Density and Saturation Letters; High Density and Saturation Flats/Parcels; and Every Door 

Direct Mail-Retail. For comparison purposes, the products have been grouped into letters 

and flats.43

STANDARD MAIL LETTERS COMPARED WITH FY 2015

Table III-14 summarizes the FY 2016 change in volume and revenue of letter-shaped 

Standard Mail. High Density and Saturation Letters and Standard Mail Letters volume 

increased in FY 2016. Revenue also increased for both categories, although the change in 

volume and revenue is more significant for High Density and Saturation Letters than 

Standard Mail Letters. Revenue for both categories increased despite the expiration of the 

exigent surcharge during FY 2016. 

 

43 Since the majority of the former Standard Mail Parcels product was moved to the Competitive product list, the remaining parcel volume 

comprises only 0.1 percent of total Standard Mail volume. Consequently, that volume is not discussed separately. See Docket No. MC2010-36, 

Order No. 689, Order Conditionally Granting Request to Transfer Commercial Standard Mail Parcels to the Competitive Product List, March 2, 

2011.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Total Cards 405 384 21 5.5% 13.5 13.5 1 5.7%

Parcels 588 486 102 20.9% 231.5 191.5 (11.5) -4.7%

Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International 153 169 (17) -9.8% 88.9 79.8 9.0 11.3%

Inbound Letter Post 401 349 52 15.0% 102.3 109.6 (7.2) -6.6%

Inbound International NSAs 218 154 64 41.8% 102.0 98.8 3.1 3.2%

Total Other First-Class Mail 1,764 1,542 223 14.4% 43.8 39.7 4.1 10.3%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost 

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)

Negative amount is denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 53

Table III-14

Standard Mail Letter Volume and Revenue, FY 2015 and FY 2014

Table III-15 summarizes the FY 2016 change in attributable cost. Total attributable cost for 

letter-shaped Standard Mail increased 2.4 percent in FY 2016 after a smaller increase, 1.3 

percent, in FY2015. The largest increase was for High Density and Saturation Letters. 

Table III-15

Standard Mail Letters Attributable Cost and Average Unit Attributable Cost

TRENDS IN STANDARD MAIL LETTERS

As shown in Figure III-12, Standard Mail Letters volume increased in FY 2016 after a small 

decline in FY 2015. The FY 2016 volume increase is the largest increase since 2011. The 

rate of growth of High Density and Saturation Letters volume increased each year since FY

2012 and consistently exceeded the rate of growth of Standard Mail Letters.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

2016 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Letters 48,859 47,721 1,138 2.4% 10,163 10,057 106 1.1%

High Density & Saturation Letters 6,992 6,478 514 7.9% 1,079 995 85 8.5%

 Total Letters 55,851 54,199 1,652 3.0% 11,242 11,052 191 1.7%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions) Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Letters 5,023 4,930 93 1.9% 10.3 10.1 0.2 1.9%

High Density & Saturation Letters 492 454 39 8.5% 7.0 6.5 0.6 8.5%

 Total Letters 5,516 5,384 132 2.4% 9.9 9.6 0.2 2.4%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

 ($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 54

Figure III-12

Standard Mail Letters Volume Percent Change

As shown in Figure III-13, the average unit attributable cost for Standard Mail Letters 

increased since FY 2008 but remained relatively stable since FY 2009. FY 2016 unit 

attributable cost for High Density and Saturation Letters and Standard Mail Letters is 

nearly unchanged from FY 2015.

Figure III-13

Standard Mail Letters Unit Attributable Cost

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; 

Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; 

Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 55

STANDARD MAIL FLATS COMPARED WITH FY 2015

Table III-16 summarizes the FY 2016 changes in volume and revenue for flat-shaped 

Standard Mail. Volume declined for every category except Flats, which increased 20.5 

percent over last year. The largest decline in volume was in Carrier Route flats, which 

declined 19.8 percent. 

On May 31, 2015, the Postal Service introduced new price categories for Standard Mail 

Flats, pieces destined for Flats Sequencing System (FSS) zones.44 The Postal Service 

intended to provide pricing signals that better reflected the mail processing costs of FSS 

preparation. For Standard Mail, the new FSS rates were developed by blending Carrier 

Route prices and presorted 5-Digit/3-Digit prices using the proportion of FSS volumes 

mailed in each price category. 

In Docket No. R2017-1, the Postal Service sought to reverse the changes to the pricing 

structure of flat-shaped mail due to unintended consequences affecting certain categories. 

Many mailers who previously paid Carrier Route rates for their FSS volume experienced an 

above average price increase after the new rates were implemented on May 31, 2015. 

The Postal Service explained that after the change in price structure, “FSS volume declined 

more quickly than the volume in other categories of flat-shaped mail.” 45 The Commission 

approved a Market Dominant price adjustment that reversed the change in pricing 

structure. Id.

The problem the Postal Service identified is borne out by the FY 2016 volume data for 

Standard Mail Flats and Carrier Route flats. The decrease in Carrier Route flat volume in FY 

2016 was more than twice as much as the decrease in FY 2015. Conversely, Standard Mail 

Flats volume increased by 20.5 percent in FY 2016, compared with a 4.1 percent increase in 

FY 2015, suggesting a migration of flat-shaped mail from Carrier Route flats to Standard 

Mail Flats.

Total revenue for flat-shaped Standard Mail decreased in FY 2016 primarily due to the 

expiration of the exigent surcharge, but loss of volume also contributed to the reduction of 

revenue. Only Standard Mail Flats revenue increased in FY 2016. The majority of the 

decrease in revenue is due to the large reduction in Carrier Route flats revenue.

 

44 Similar price categories were also introduced for flat-shaped Bound Printed Matter (BPM) and Periodicals. Docket No. R2015-4, Order No. 

2472, Order on Revised Price Adjustments for Standard Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services Products and Related Mail Classification 

Changes, May 7, 2015.

45 See Docket No. R2017-1, Order No. 3610, Order on Price Adjustments for First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services 

Products and Related Mail Classification Changes, November 15, 2016.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 56

Table III-16

Standard Mail Flats Volume and Revenue

Total attributable cost for flat-shaped Standard Mail decreased in FY 2016 after increasing 

in FY 2015. Attributable costs increased in FY 2016 for High Density and Saturation 

Flats/Parcel, Standard Mail Flats and Every Door Direct Mail-Retail. However, a significant 

reduction in Carrier Route attributable cost resulted in a slight decrease in total Standard 

Mail Flats and Parcels attributable cost. Unit attributable costs for Total Flats and Parcels 

increased in FY 2016 despite sizable unit cost reductions for Carrier Route and Flats. 

Table III-17

Standard Flats Attributable Cost and Average Unit Attributable Cost

TRENDS IN STANDARD MAIL FLATS

Total volume for flat-shaped Standard Mail continued to decline in FY 2016, decreasing by 

over 778 million pieces. As shown in Figure III-14, volume change for Standard Mail Flats 

and Carrier Route flats in FY 2016 are substantially larger than previous volume changes 

for these categories. Compared with FY 2015, there is no difference in the direction of the 

change in volume compared with FY 2015 for any category of Standard Mail flat-shaped 

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

High Density & Saturation Flats/Parcels 11,101 11,277 (176) -1.6% 2,021 2,049 (28) -1.4%

Carrier Route 6,783 8,389 (1,606) -19.1% 1,831 2,265 (434) -19.2%

Flats 6,340 5,260 1,080 20.5% 2,380 2,113 267 12.6%

Every Door Direct Mail - Retail 810 833 (22) -2.7% 146 149 (3) -1.9%

Total Flats & Parcels 25,034 25,758 (724) -2.8% 6,378 6,576 (197) -3.0%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions) Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

High Density & Saturation Flats/Parcels 1,197 1,181 16 1.4% 10.8 10.5 0.3 3.0%

Carrier Route 1,331 1,727 (395) -22.9% 19.6 20.6 (1.0) -4.6%

Flats 2,985 2,633 351 13.3% 47.1 50.1 (3.0) -6.0%

Every Door Direct Mail - Retail 54 52 3 4.9% 6.7 6.2 0.5 7.8%

Total Flats & Parcels 5,567 5,592 (26) -0.5% 22.2 21.7 0.5 2.4%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)

Negative amount is denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.

Negative amount is denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 57

mail. However, the magnitude of the change for Standard Mail flat-shaped mail categories 

significantly exceeds that of FY 2015 volume changes. 

Figure III-14

Standard Mail Flat Percent Change in Volume 

FY 2010 - FY 2016

The average unit attributable cost for all flat-shaped Standard Mail products increased 

significantly over the last 9 years. This growth in the unit attributable cost is illustrated in 

Figure III-15. Since FY 2008, the average unit attributable cost of Flats has increased 21.1 

percent, 30.5 percent for Carrier Route, and 73.4 percent for High Density and Saturation 

Flats. 

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; 

Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 58

Figure III-15

Standard Mail Flats Percent Change in Average Unit Attributable Cost 

FY 2009 - FY 2016

 

Table III-18 compares the change in the average unit attributable cost by cost segment or 

component between FY 2016 and FY 2015. Mail Processing unit cost for Carrier Route and 

Standard Mail Flats declined in FY 2016, while Every Door Direct Mail-Retail (EDDM-R) and 

High Density and Saturation Flats experienced a unit mail processing cost decrease. This 

was the third year in which cost has been reported for EDDM-R. The sizeable changes from 

year to year could be the result of the small size of the category with few IOCS tallies for 

this type of Standard Mail.

Negative amount is denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Docket No. 

ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 59

Table III-18

Change in Standard Flat-Shaped Mail Unit Attributable Cost by Cost Segment

Periodicals

The Periodicals class is comprised of two products: In-County and Outside County. InCounty is typically used by newspapers with smaller weekly circulations for distribution 

within the county of publication. Outside County consists of publications with a wide 

variety of circulation sizes, distribution patterns, and frequencies.

PERIODICALS COMPARED WITH FY 2015

Table III-19 summarizes the FY 2016 changes in volume and revenue for Periodicals. In 

FY 2016, Periodicals volume declined by 252 million pieces, or 4.3 percent, with most of 

the decrease occurring in Outside County publications. In 2016, the rate of decrease in 

volume exceeded that of FY 2015 despite a significant drop in prices midway through the 

fiscal year. A change in the rate structure introduced May 31, 2015, which created FSS price 

categories, may have impacted the volume of mail in the affected categories. Total revenue 

for Periodicals declined 5.2 percent in FY 2016. The loss in revenue is due to volume losses 

as well as the decrease in prices due to the expiration of the exigent surcharge. 

High Density 

& Saturation

Carrier 

Route Flats EDDM

Mail Processing

FY 2016 1.2011 5.0007 25.7396 0.1250

FY 2015 1.1600 6.0814 27.9516 0.0357

% Change 3.5% -17.8% -7.9% 250.1%

City Carrier In-Office

FY 2016 1.1343 5.5438 8.8783 1.1000

FY 2015 1.3396 5.4662 10.0017 1.2814

% Change -15.3% 1.4% -11.2% -14.2%

City Carrier Street

FY 2016 4.9149 3.3316 6.0755 4.4572

FY 2015 4.4615 3.9730 4.8891 3.9724

% Change 10.2% -16.1% 24.3% 12.2%

Rural Carriers

FY 2016 2.8591 4.0466 2.3556 0.4718

FY 2015 2.7543 3.4649 2.9070 0.4640

% Change 3.8% 16.8% -19.0% 1.7%

Source: The Postal Regulatory Commission derived from Library Reference USPS-FY16-

24; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference USPS-FY15-24.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 60

Table III-19

Periodicals Volume and Revenue

Table III-20 compares Periodicals total attributable cost and average unit attributable cost 

for FY 2015 and FY 2016. As shown in the table, total Periodicals attributable cost declined 

by $64 million, representing a 3.0 percent decrease in attributable cost. The majority of the 

reduction occurred in Outside County, but In-County cost decreased slightly as well. The 

average unit attributable cost for In-County and Outside County grew 4.9 percent and 1.0 

percent, respectively.

Table III-20

Periodicals Attributable and Average Unit Attributable Cost

TRENDS IN PERIODICALS

As shown in Figure III-16, the volume of Periodicals has continued to decline in large part 

due to the availability of electronic alternatives. Additionally, advertising migrated from 

Periodicals to less costly electronic media, further depressing volume.46

 

46 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 8.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent 

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

In-County 534 571 (37) -6.4% 62 67 (5) -7.6%

Outside County 5,052 5,267 (215) -4.1% 1,445 1,522 (77) -5.1%

Total 5,586 5,838 (252) -4.3% 1,507 1,589 (83) -5.2%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions)

Negative amount is denoted by (). Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1. Increase or Percent Increase or Percent 

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

In-County 87 89 (2) -1.8% 16.3 15.5 0.8 4.9%

Outside County 1,950 2,012 (62) -3.1% 38.6 38.2 0.4 1.0%

Total 2,037 2,101 (64) -3.0% 36.5 36.0 0.5 1.3%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)

Negative amount is denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 61

Figure III-16

Periodicals Percent Change in Volume

FY 2008 - FY 2016

The percentage change in the average unit attributable cost for In-County and Outside 

County Periodicals is shown in Figure III-17. Both In-County and Outside County average 

unit attributable cost increased each of the past 3 years. The FY 2016 unit attributable cost 

increases were smaller than the increases in FY 2015. The average unit attributable cost for 

Outside County has increased each year since FY 2008 except for FY 2013. The unit 

attributable cost of In-County Periodicals has been more erratic from FY 2008 to FY 2016.

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; 

Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 62

Figure III-17

Periodicals Percent Change in Average Unit Attributable Cost, FY 2008 - FY 2016

Table III-21 disaggregates the average unit attributable cost for Outside County Periodicals 

for FY 2014 to FY 2016. As shown in the table, the unit cost for city carriers increased 

significantly in FY 2016. Although the increase is less severe than in FY 2015, the FY 2015 

increase was mostly due to a change in the cost methodology for city carrier street time. In 

FY 2016, transportation cost, primarily in highway transportation, also increased for the 

second year in a row for Outside County Periodicals. Changes in transportation schemes 

due to the second phase of the Network Realignment program may be part of the cause for 

the increase, as most of the increased cost are in Inter-sectional center facility (SCF) and 

Inter-network distribution center (NDC) highway transportation costs. 47

 

47 Inter-SCF and Inter-NDC highway transportation reflects the costs of transporting mail between plants. In its Advisory Opinion on Mail 

Processing Network Rationalization Service Changes, the Commission noted that there may be a tradeoff between mail processing and 

transportation costs resulting from the second phase of Network Realignment. In particular, the Commission noted the potential need for new 

trips and changes in the frequency of trips between the remaining plants. See Docket No. N2012-1, Advisory Opinion on Mail Processing 

Network Rationalization Service Changes, September 28, 2012, at 111-116.

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; 

Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 63

Table III-21

Outside County Periodicals Average Unit Attributable Cost by Segment, FY 2014 - FY 2016

 

 Source: The Postal Regulatory Commission derived from Postal Service Cost Segment and Components Reports, 

 FY 2014 to FY 2016

Package Services

The Package Services class consists of four products: Alaska Bypass Service; Bound Printed 

Matter (BPM) Flats; Bound Printed Matter (BPM) Parcels; and Media Mail/Library Mail. 

Table III-22 summarizes the FY 2016 changes in volume and revenue for Package Services. 

Overall, Package Services volume increased in FY 2016. With the exception of Alaska 

Bypass Service, volumes of Package Service products were higher compared with FY 2015. 

The volume of Alaska Bypass Service remained unchanged.

Of the four Package Service products, only BPM Parcels volume resulted in increased 

revenue. However, that increase in revenue was not enough to offset the loss of revenue 

from the remaining Parcel Post products. Media Mail/Library Mail experienced the largest 

decrease in revenue at $8 million.

Table III-22

Package Services Volume and Revenue

Cost Segment 2014 2015 2016 2015 2016

Mail Processing 19.78 18.89 19.09 -4.5% 1.1%

City Carrier In-Office 6.18 6.30 6.14 1.8% -2.5%

City Carrrier Street 3.01 3.78 4.08 25.6% 8.1%

Rural Carriers 3.34 3.35 3.36 0.2% 0.5%

Transportation 3.46 4.31 4.65 24.6% 7.9%

All Other 1.10 1.43 3.00 30.2% 109.4%

Average Unit Attributable Change in Average 

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Alaska Bypass 1 1 (0) 0.0% 34 34 (0) -0.7%

Bound Printed Matter Flats 265 260 4 1.7% 210 213 (3) -1.6%

Bound Printed Matter Parcels 250 228 22 9.7% 290 284 5 1.9%

Media Mail/Library Mail 75 75 0 0.1% 267 274 (8) -2.9%

Total 591 565 27 4.7% 799 806 (6) -0.8%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions)

Negative amount is denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 64

As shown in Table III-23, attributable cost for Package Services grew 1.7 percent, or $13 

million, in FY 2016. The largest increase was for Media Mail/Library Mail despite a 

decrease in volume. Alaska Bypass Service cost, which consists entirely of Cost Segment 14 

transportation, also increased significantly. This cost is determined by a new methodology 

instituted in FY 2014, which uses operational data from the Postal Service’s Surface Air 

Management System – Alaska and the Transportation Cost System to calculate the ratio of 

hypothetical highway cost to air cost for Alaska Air transportation.48 This ratio varies from 

year to year and increased in FY 2015. The large increase in Media/Library Mail was due to 

higher mail processing and transportation costs.

Table III-23

Package Services Attributable Costs and Average Unit Attributable Cost

Table III-24 shows the FY 2016 percent change in unit costs for selected cost segments. As 

shown in the table, BPM Flats’ unit costs increased for delivery activities, while the unit 

costs for all other segments declined. In total, unit costs for BPM flats declined by 15 

percent. The unit cost for BPM Parcels increased by 14 percent in FY 2016. Mail processing 

unit cost increased by 30.6 percent, offsetting the decreases achieved in the previous 2

years. The unit cost for vehicle service drivers and rural carriers also increased by nearly 

20 percent. For Media Mail/Library Mail, overall unit cost decreased slightly in FY 2016, 

despite large increases to city carrier in-office and vehicle service drivers’ unit costs, 49 

percent and 36 percent, respectively. 

 

48 FY 2014 Postal Regulatory Commission Financial Report at 57; see also Docket No. RM2013-6, Order No. 1983, Order on Analytical Principles 

Used in Periodic Reporting (Proposals One Through Five), February 4, 2014, at 4-6.

Increase or % Increase or %

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Alaska Bypass 20 19 1 3.0% 1,537.7 1,493.5 44.2 3.0%

Bound Printed Matter Flats 131 151 (21) -13.6% 49.3 58.0 (8.7) -15.0%

Bound Printed Matter Parcels 277 239 38 16.0% 110.8 104.8 6.0 5.7%

Media/Library Mail 354 359 (5) -1.3% 472.5 479.5 (7.0) -1.5%

Total 781 768 13 1.7% 132.2 136.0 (3.9) -2.8%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

 ($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)

Negative amount is denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 65

Table III-24

Package Services Percent Change in Unit Attributable Cost by 

Segment and Component

 

Market Dominant Special Services

The Special Services class consists of 11 products- 8 domestic and 3 international. Ancillary 

Services and International Ancillary, within the Special Service class, include a number of 

distinctive included services. As shown in Table III-25, total revenue for Special Services 

declined $89 million in FY 2016. Most of the decrease can be attributed to three Special 

Service products: Insurance, Other Ancillary Services49 and Post Office Box.

 

49 Other Ancillary Services consists of USPS Tracking, Return Receipts, Restricted Delivery, Signature Confirmation, Bulk Parcel Return Service, 

and Special Handling.

BPM Flats BPM Parcels

Media Mail/ 

Library Mail

Mail Processing -7.1% 30.6% -2.4%

City Carrier In-Office -33.1% 7.9% 49.2%

City Carrier Street 11.6% -5.6% -10.0%

Vehicle Service Driv. -39.6% 16.6% 35.6%

Rural Carriers 19.4% 18.7% -2.6%

Motor Vehicle Service -21.4% -4.1% 1.7%

Transportation -39.7% -2.8% -2.8%

All Other -9.0% 13.5% -2.0%

Total Cost -15.0% 14.0% -1.5%

Source: The Postal Regulatory Commission derived from Library Reference USPSFY16-31; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference USPS-FY15-31.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 66

Table III-25

Market Dominant Ancillary Services and Special Services Revenue

 

 Negative amount is denoted by ( ).

 Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.

 

Table III-26 shows that attributable cost for Special Services increased $42 million in FY 

2016, subsequent to a $148 million decline in FY 2015. The increase in attributable cost is 

primarily due to an increase in attributable cost for the Certified Mail product and the 

Other Services product, $36 million and $24 million, respectively. 

Table III-26

Market Dominant Ancillary and Special Services Attributable Cost

 Negative amount is denoted by ( ).

 Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.

Increase or Percent 

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Certified Mail 670 659 11 1.7%

COD 2 3 (1) -34.9%

Insurance 77 89 (12) -13.7%

Registered Mail 32 38 (6) -16.5%

Stamped Envelopes & Cards 10 12 (3) -22.2%

Other Ancillary Services 447 493 (45) -9.2%

Money Orders 157 161 (4) -2.4%

Post Office Box 284 311 (27) -8.7%

Other Services 175 177 (2) -1.2%

Total Services 1,854 1,943 (89) -4.6%

Revenue

($ in Millions)

FY 2016 FY 2015

Increase or 

Decrease

Percent 

Change

Certified Mail 521 485 36 7.4%

COD 5 3 2 63.3%

Insurance 43 50 (7) -14.8%

Registered Mail 16 27 (11) -40.1%

Stamped Envelopes & Cards 10 8 2 20.0%

Other Ancillary Services 207 222 (16) -7.0%

Money Orders 117 105 12 11.0%

Post Office Box 230 228 1 0.5%

Other Services 77 54 24 43.9%

Total Services 1,225 1,184 42 3.5%

Attributable Cost ($ in Millions)
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 67

Competitive Volume, Revenue, and Cost by 

Product

Competitive products include both domestic and international products. Domestic 

Competitive products include: Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel 

Return Service, First-Class Package Service, Retail Ground, Address Enhancement Services, 

Greeting Cards, Gift Cards and Stationery; Competitive Ancillary Services, Premium 

Forwarding Service, Post Office Box Service, and Shipping and Mailing Supplies. There were 

also a total of 146 Domestic Competitive NSA products in effect during FY 2016.

International Competitive products include: Outbound International Expedited Services, 

Outbound Priority Mail International, Inbound Air Parcel Post (at UPU rates), Outbound 

Single-Piece First-Class Package International Service, International Surface Air Lift, 

International Priority Airmail, International Direct Sacks – M-Bags, International Money 

Transfer Service – Outbound, International Money Transfer Service – Inbound, and 

International Ancillary Services. In FY 2016, there were also 427 International Outbound 

NSAs and 20 International Inbound NSAs.

To facilitate comparison, the products have been grouped into several broad categories. 

Table III-27 summarizes the FY 2016 changes in volume and revenue for Competitive 

products and services. Total volume for Competitive products increased almost 13.7 

percent in FY 2016 as every category except Priority Mail Express and Competitive 

International Mail experienced volume growth. The products with the two largest increases 

in volume were First-Class Package Service, which increased 9.6 percent, and ground 

parcels,50 which increased 24.8 percent. 

Total Competitive product revenue increased 12.6 percent, or $2.1 billion, in FY 2016. 

Every Competitive category, except International, had increased revenue, with ground 

parcels, Priority Mail, and First-Class Package Service providing the bulk of the increase. 

Increased volume was the primary reason for the significant increase in revenue. 

 

50 Ground parcels include Standard Post, Parcel Select, and Parcel Return Service.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 68

Table III-27

Competitive Products Volume and Revenue

Negative amount is denoted by ( ).

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.

Table III-28 summarizes the FY 2016 changes in attributable cost. Total attributable cost 

for Competitive products increased 4.9 percent, or $586 million, in FY 2016. The rapidly 

increasing volume resulted in higher total cost for almost every cost segment and 

component. The largest increases in attributable costs were in Priority Mail, ground 

parcels, and First-Class Package Service. The average unit attributable cost increased for 

every category except for ground parcels and International. The average unit attributable 

cost for ground parcels declined for the second consecutive year, though by a much smaller 

margin. Ground parcels average unit attributable cost declined in FY 2015 and FY 2016. 

However, the decrease was significantly larger in FY 2015 than in FY 2016, 10 percent and 

1 percent, respectively. 

Table III-28

Competitive Attributable Costs

Negative amount is denoted by ( ).

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Priority Mail Express 33 36 (3) -7.5% 809 779 30 3.9%

First-Class Package Service 776 708 68 9.6% 2,076 1,689 387 22.9%

Priority Mail 1,004 992 12 1.2% 7,785 7,276 509 7.0%

Ground Parcels 2,457 1,969 489 24.8% 5,192 3,925 1,266 32.3%

International 228 254 (25) -10.0% 1,792 1,970 (178) -9.0%

Domestic Services 833 789 44 5.6%

Total Competitive 4,499 3,959 540 13.7% 18,496 16,428 2,068 12.6%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions) Increase or % Increase or %

FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change FY 2016 FY 2015 Decrease Change

Priority Mail Express 357 364 (7.7) -2.1% 1,079.6 1,023.7 55.9 5.5%

First-Class Package Service 1,469 1,369 99.8 7.3% 189.2 163.0 26.2 16.1%

Priority Mail 6,128 5,766 362.0 6.3% 610.2 527.6 82.6 15.7%

Ground Parcels 3,055 2,783 272.6 9.8% 124.3 125.6 (1.2) -1.0%

International 1,049 1,195 (145.5) -12.2% 459.2 543.9 (84.6) -15.6%

Domestic Services 426 428 (2.7) -0.6%

Total Competitive 12,490 11,905 585.8 4.9% 277.6 277.0 0.6 0.2%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 69

Trends in Competitive Products

Competitive product volume growth has exceeded 10 percent each year since the FY 2012 

transfer of several Market Dominant products to the Competitive product list. The growth 

in purchases of retail e-commerce has been the primary driver of volume increases for 

these products.51 The Postal Service’s marketing of Competitive products, especially 

Priority Mail, has also contributed to this growth. Figure III-18 highlights the growth in 

Competitive categories since FY 2007.

Figure III-18

Competitive Volume by Product, FY 2007 - FY 2016

As the volume of Competitive products has grown, so has the attributable cost, which now 

comprises 30 percent of total attributable cost. This is double the percentage of total 

Competitive attributable cost in FY 2008. However, comparing total attributable cost 

overtime is somewhat problematic due to changes in mail-mix resulting from mail 

classification changes that transferred products from the Market Dominant to the 

Competitive product list. These include the transfer of Commercial First-Class Mail Parcels 

to a new Lightweight Commercial Parcels category,

52 Standard Mail lightweight parcels to 

the Competitive ground parcels category, and the transfer of Single-Piece Parcel Post from 

 

51 Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 17.

52 The Postal Service renamed the “Lightweight Commercial Parcels” category to “Commercial First-Class Package Service.” See Docket No. 

MC2011-29, Order Approving Proposed Classification Change, October 11, 2011 (Order No. 903) at 2.

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Docket No. 

ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2007- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 70

Market Dominant products to the Competitive Standard Post product. Figure III-19 shows 

the average unit attributable cost by category from FY 2008 to FY 2016. 

Figure III-19

Competitive Unit Attributable Cost by Category, FY 2008 - FY 2016

The unit attributable cost of the First-Class Package Service and ground parcel categories 

decreased compared with FY 2015, with ground parcels showing the largest decline. 

Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail unit attributable cost increased in FY 2015, largely 

driven by significant increases in highway and, in particular, air transportation costs.

Figure III-20 shows the percent change in unit attributable cost by category from FY 2009 

to FY 2016. It shows that while the unit attributable cost of Priority Mail Express and 

Priority Mail increased compared with FY 2015, the percent increase in unit attributable 

cost was less than in FY 2015. 

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Docket No. 

ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2008 - FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 71

Figure III-20

Competitive Percent Change in Unit Attributable Cost by Category

FY 2009 - FY 2016

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Docket No.

ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; FY 2009- FY 2013 ACD; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 72

Chapter 4. Sustainability, Liquidity, 

Activity, and Financial Solvency

Introduction

This chapter analyzes the Postal Service’s financial status in terms of sustainability, 

liquidity, and performance using financial ratios. This type of analysis can function as a 

strategic management tool that provides a concise and systematic way to organize financial 

data (e.g., Balance Sheets, Income Statements, and Statements of Cash Flows) into 

meaningful information. As with any approach to understanding the financial status of 

entities, evaluating multiple financial dimensions and indicators is preferable. The financial 

status of the Postal Service is affected by a combination of environmental, economic, and 

organizational factors, including the decisions and actions of management and the Postal 

Service Board of Governors.53

The Commission acknowledges that financial analyses used in the private sector are not

exactly the same for Federal Government entities because revenue streams, equity

structures, and management incentives differ. Due to these and other ways Federal

Government entities differ from the private sector, the standard measurements used to

assess the financial health of private sector firms generally are not directly applicable to

Federal Government entities. Additionally, in the private sector, stakeholders use financial

analysis to make investment and credit decisions, and success is often measured by the

company’s stock valuation. In contrast Federal Government entities are mission-oriented

and measure success through the provision of service and do not have direct shareholders.

Another useful part of a financial analysis for a Federal Government entity is financial

performance. Although not a primary indicator of success, financial performance influences

the ability of service-related entities, such as the Postal Service, to fulfill their missions and

objectives.

The objectives of this chapter are to:

 Compare and analyze the financial statements over a period of time54

 Measure the sustainability and liquidity of the Postal Service

 

53 For example, the Market Dominant exigent surcharge expired after the Postal Service had collected all of the allowable $4.6 billion. This 

resulted in a decline in revenue in FY 2016. The Postal Service management’s response to this decline in revenue will affect the financial 

condition of the Postal Service as will any constraints on management flexibility.

54 Financial statements are analyzed from FY 2006, the fiscal year prior to the enactment of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act 

(PAEA), through FY 2016, the most recent audited fiscal year.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 73

 Analyze the annual growth rate and growth patterns of the Postal Service’s income

and assets over time through trend analyses

 Analyze the Postal Service’s overall financial performance

Financial ratios are used to interpret accounting information. The historic accounting 

information used in ratio analysis is not adjusted for inflation. Forecasts of an entity’s 

future revenue may not reflect its actual future revenue and cash flows because of changing 

demographics, industry dynamics, and government regulation unless these factors are 

explicitly accounted for in the development of the forecast.

The Major Mailers Association, National Association of Presort Mailers, and National Postal 

Policy Council jointly filed initial comments implying that using financial ratios to interpret 

the Postal Service’s accounting information inappropriately analyzes the financial 

condition of the Postal Service as if it were a publicly-traded, for-profit, private 

corporation.55 The Commission recognizes that the Postal Service is a Federal Government 

entity operating as an independent establishment in the Executive Branch. However, the 

ratios provide an objective, quantitative measure of an entity’s financial health and its 

ability to satisfy its financial obligations. Ratio analysis helps assess profitability and 

informs stakeholders of an entity’s performance based on its current earnings. For 

example, computing a solvency ratio, such as debt ratio, reveals the correlation between 

assets and liabilities. Both the ability to meet its short-term financial obligation (liquidity) 

and the ability to meet long-term financial obligations (solvency) are critical in evaluating 

the Postal Service’s current financial situation.

Comparing ratios for the current fiscal year to previous years and historic averages also 

provides valuable insight when analyzing past performance and can help identify 

weaknesses and highlight improvements.

The Postal Service’s defaults on payments to the RHBF have skewed the results of the 

financial ratio analysis presented in this chapter. To provide clarity, ratios affected by the 

defaults are computed both with and without the inclusion of the cumulative defaulted 

payment.

The PAEA mandated fixed annual RHBF prefunding payments from FY 2007 through FY

2016. As of FY 2016, the Postal Service has defaulted on $33.9 billion in RHBF prefunding 

payments as shown in Table IV-1.

 

55 Comments of the Major Mailers Association, National Association of Presort Mailers, and the National Postal Policy Council, PRC Docket No. 

ACR2016 (Feb. 2, 2017), at 17-18.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 74

Table IV-1

RHBF Funding Status, FY 2007 - FY 2016

Source: Postal Service FY 2007 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K; 5 U.S.C. §8909a.

As of FY 2016, the defaulted RHBF payments56 constitute 62 percent of the Postal Service’s 

overall current liabilities and 356 percent of its current assets. This large amount of 

defaulted RHBF payments as a percentage of current assets skews the results of ratios 

computed with these payments included as current liabilities.

No later than June 30, 2017, OPM is required to calculate the Postal Service’s total retiree 

health benefits obligation and set the annual payment amounts required to liquidate the 

unfunded portion by FY 2056.57 The Postal Service will be required to pay the annual 

amortized portion set by OPM to liquidate the unfunded retiree health benefits obligation

set by OPM and the normal costs for its current employees. The employer share of retiree 

health benefit premiums will be paid out of the RHBF. Assuming all payments are timely, 

Table IV-2 provides the impact on the balance in the RHBF solely from the cash outflows 

and inflows estimated by OPM for the next 5 years. These estimated payments are subject 

to change by OPM after its periodic re-evaluation of the retiree health benefit liability and 

related fluid factors. For example, the increase in the postal career work force is likely to 

increase the retiree health benefit liability and subsequently the estimated payments of 

normal costs and amortization. The fund balance shown below does not include changes 

due to discount rates, actuarial gains or losses, or interest on assets.

 

56 The defaulted RHBF payments for FY 2012 through FY 2016 are classified as short term obligations payable within 1 year. “Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM) may establish a payment schedule by June 30, 2017, under which the Postal Service would be obligated to pay down this 

liability, including a progress payment due in 2017.” Postal Service FY 2017 Quarter 1 Form 10-Q at 12.

57 See 5 U.S.C. § 8909(a).

Fiscal Year

Beginning 

of Year 

Assets

One-Time 

Transfer 

from CSRS 

Pension 

Fund

One-Time 

Transfer 

from USPS 

Escrow

USPS 

Prefunding 

Payment

Interest 

Earned

End of 

Year 

Assets

End of Year 

Actuarial 

Liabilities

End of Year 

Net Funded 

Status 

(Unfunded)

Missed 

USPS 

Prefunding 

Payments

2007 $ 0.0 $ 17.1 $ 3.0 $ 5.4 $ 0.3 $ 25.7 $ 80.8 $ (55.0) $ 0.0

2008 25.7 5.6 1.3 32.6 86.1 (53.5) 0.0

2009 32.6 1.4 1.5 35.5 87.5 (52.0) 0.0

2010 35.5 5.5 1.5 42.5 91.1 (48.6) 0.0

2011 42.5 0.0 1.6 44.1 90.3 (46.2) 0.0

2012 44.1 0.0 1.6 45.7 93.6 (47.9) 11.1

2013 45.7 0.0 1.6 47.3 95.6 (48.3) 5.6

2014 47.3 0.0 1.5 48.9 97.7 (48.8) 5.7

2015 48.9 0.0 1.5 50.3 105.2 (54.8) 5.7

2016 50.3 0.0 1.5 51.8 103.9 (52.1) 5.8

Subtotal 17.9 13.9 33.9
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 75

Table IV-2

Estimated RHBF Funding Status Excluding Interest and Actuarial (Gains) Losses

FY 2017 - FY 2021

 

To provide clarity, ratios affected by the defaulted RHBF payments are computed in this 

report both with and without the cumulative defaulted RHBF payments.

Financial Sustainability Analysis

This section focuses on three key financial ratios which analyze the Postal Service’s overall 

financial health: debt ratio, fixed asset to net worth ratio, and current liability ratio.

Table IV-3 shows the three sustainability ratios calculated using the reported amounts on 

the Postal Service’s Balance Sheets, and compares them to the previous year’s value and 

the historical 10-year average (FY 2006–FY 2015).

Table IV-3

Sustainability Ratio Analysis of Postal Service Financial Statements

Fiscal Year

Beginning 

of Year 

Assets

RHB 

Normal 

Cost

Amortization 

of RHB 

Unfunded 

Liability

Estimated 

Payments into 

PSRHBF

Retiree 

Premiums 

out of 

PSRHBF

End of 

Year 

Assets

2017 $ 51.9 $ 2.9 $ 2.9 $ 5.8 $ 3.9 $ 53.8

2018 53.8 3.1 2.9 6.0 4.1 55.7

2019 55.7 3.3 2.9 6.2 4.4 57.5

2020 57.5 3.5 2.9 6.4 4.6 59.3

2021 59.3 3.6 2.9 6.5 4.9 60.9

Ratios

9/30/2016 

Value

9/30/2015 

Value Change Description of Ratio 

Postal Service Historic 10 

Year Average Value

Debt Ratio (debt to assets ratio) 3.22 3.10 0.12

This ratio is calculated by dividing total liabilities (i.e. 

long-term and short-term liabilities) by total assets. It 

shows how much the company relies on debt to finance 

assets. 1.88

Fixed Assets to Net Worth Ratio (0.27) (0.31) 0.04

This ratio indicates the extent to which the entity's cash 

is frozen in the form of fixed assets, such as property, 

plant, and equipment. 0.21

Current Liability Ratio 0.67 0.66 0.02

This ratio is calculated by dividing current liabilities by 

total (i.e., current and noncurrent) liabilities. 0.55

Source: Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 27 and 28.

Source: Ratios computed from amounts reported on Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40.

Negative amount is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 76

Table IV-4 shows two of the sustainability ratios calculated in the same manner as Table 

IV-3 after excluding missed payments to the RHBF. Table IV-4 isolates the impact of the 

accrual of missed payments to the RHBF on the Postal Service liabilities. The fixed assets to 

net worth ratio has not been included as this ratio is not affected by the accrual related to 

the RHBF.

Table IV-4

Sustainability Ratio Analysis of Postal Service Financial Statements Excluding Defaulted 

RHBF Payments

Debt Ratio

Debt ratio is the amount of debt the entity has on its Balance Sheets in comparison to its 

assets and is one of the primary ratios used to assess financial stability. The higher the 

ratio, the greater the risk that the entity's debt level may impede its ability to effectively 

respond to challenges and opportunities. A low debt ratio indicates assets are available to 

secure future financing to grow operations with little or no financial risk.

As it pertains to the Postal Service, debt ratio provides information about its ability to 

absorb reductions in asset value that may arise from the sale, disposition, or depreciation 

of assets. The ratio generally indicates the relationship between two main sources of 

capital: equity and borrowed capital. It generally calculates the relationship between 

liabilities and the overall capital (i.e., the sum of equity and liabilities).

At the end of FY 2016, the debt ratio for the Postal Service rose to 3.22, which is higher 

than the 3.10 debt ratio for FY 2015. The Postal Service’s FY 2016 debt ratio of 3.22 was 

almost twice as high as the average 10-year debt ratio of 1.88. The ratio indicates that the 

Postal Service does not possess sufficient capital. This is viewed in light of the fact that the 

Postal Service has already maximized its statutory borrowing capacity.

If the effects of the accruing nonpayment of the RHBF and the long-term workers’ 

compensation obligations are removed from the analysis, the Postal Service’s debt ratio 

appears lower. This can be seen by the comparatively lower debt ratio of 1.88 when the 

missed payments into the RHBF are excluded. See Table IV-4. This ratio is the same as the 

average 10-year ratio with the inclusion of RHBF further demonstrating the impact of the 

Ratios

9/30/2016 

Value

9/30/2015 

Value Change Description of Ratio 

Postal Service Historic 10 Year 

Average Value

Debt Ratio (debt to assets ratio) 1.88 1.93 (0.05)

This ratio is calculated by dividing total liabilities (i.e., 

long-term and short-term liabilities) by total assets. It 

shows how much the company relies on debt to finance 

assets. 1.54

Current Liability Ratio 0.44 0.45 (0.01)

This ratio is calculated by dividing current liabilities by 

total (i.e., current and noncurrent) liabilities. 0.48

Source: Ratios computed from amounts reported on Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40.

Negative amount is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 77

accrual of the missed payments in current liabilities for the last five fiscal years starting in 

FY 2012. The values of the debt ratio with and without the inclusion of the RHBF were 

similar through FY 2012. The debt ratio change, excluding the missed RHBF payments, was 

also decreased by 0.05 from the prior year. To reduce its debt ratio to historic averages, the 

Postal Service would have to increase its current cash position or investments in capital 

assets and reduce its obligations.

Fixed Asset to Net Worth Ratio

The fixed asset to net worth ratio analyzes fixed assets as a percentage of net worth to 

determine liquidity. Net worth is the residual amount representing the excess of an entity’s 

assets over its liabilities. The Postal Service’s fixed assets consist primarily of buildings and 

equipment which cannot be easily converted into cash. The Postal Service accumulated 

deficits in excess of its fixed assets, resulting in a negative fixed asset to net worth ratio.

This signifies an inability to rapidly respond to financial emergencies or easily obtain cash 

for further investment and growth. As shown in Table IV-3, the ratio improved slightly over 

the prior year, but remained negative in FY 2016.

Current Liability Ratio

The current liability ratio is a useful measurement when reviewing an entity’s debt 

structure as it indicates the amount of current debt required to be paid within 1 year. As of 

September 30, 2016, the Postal Service’s short-term liabilities were 67.0 percent of total 

liabilities, an increase of 2.0 percent from the prior year. An increasing ratio value is 

generally a negative sign indicating growth in the proportion of total current liabilities

compared to total liabilities.

The accrual of the unpaid statutory RHBF prefunding payments is included in current 

obligations and accounts for the vast majority of the increase in current liabilities. Current 

liabilities include the $33.9 billion in statutory prefunding accruals to the RHBF and $10.1 

billion of the $15.0 billion in outstanding debt.

Financial Liquidity Analysis

Liquidity-related ratios are one of the most widespread indicators of an entity’s solvency 

focusing on working capital.58 There are three liquidity-related ratios: current ratio, quick 

ratio, and cash ratio which supplement the Income Statement and Statement of Cash Flows 

measuring the ability to pay short term obligations. The three ratios for the Postal Service 

are shown in Table IV-5.

 

58 James Pratt, Financial Accounting in an Economic Context, Eight Edition, 246 part 3 (2011), states that “Dun & Bradstreet, a widely used 

service that rates the creditworthiness of a large number of U.S. businesses, includes both the current ratio and the quick ratio as solvency 

measures” and “Working capital, the current ratio and the quick ratio are also used by auditors. For example, an AICPA list of ‘red flags’ alerting 

auditors to possible management fraud includes ‘inadequate working capital.’”
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 78

Table IV-5

Liquidity Ratio Analysis of Postal Service Financial Statements

Table IV-6 shows the three liquidity ratios in the same manner as Table IV-5, excluding 

missed payments to the RHBF. This isolates the impact of the accrual of missed payments 

to the RHBF on the Postal Service’s liquidity.

Table IV-6

Liquidity Ratio Analysis of Postal Service Financial Statements Excluding

Defaulted RHBF Payments

Current Ratio

The current ratio indicates the degree to which current assets are meeting current 

liabilities. At the end of FY 2016, the current ratio was 0.17. That level is an improvement of 

0.01 from the end of the prior fiscal year. This is a slight improvement over the 10-year 

historic average reflecting the yearly increase in the cash balance. Accrual of the current 

fiscal year’s defaulted payment into the RHBF increased current liabilities by 11.0 percent. 

At the same time, the Postal Service’s current assets increased by 20.0 percent, primarily 

due to the growth of cash and cash equivalents.

Source: Ratios computed from amounts reported on Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40.

Numbers may not add across due to rounding. Ratios

9/30/2016 

Value

9/30/2015 

Value Change Description of Ratio 

Postal Service Historic 10 Year 

Average Value

Current Ratio 0.46 0.38 0.08

This ratio is calculated by dividing current assets by 

current liabilities. It indicates an entity's ability to meet 

short term debt obligations. 0.21

Quick Ratio 0.45 0.37 0.08

This ratio is calculated by dividing liquid assets (cash, 

cash equivalents and short term investments, current 

receivables) by current liabilities. It is a measure of an 

entity's ability to meet its short term obligations using 

its most liquid assets (near cash or quick assets). 0.20

Cash Ratio 0.40 0.33 0.07

This ratio is calculated by dividing absolute liquid 

assets (cash, cash equivalents, and short-term 

investments) by current liabilities. 0.15

Ratios

9/30/2016 

Value

9/30/2015 

Value Change Description of Ratio 

Postal Service Historic 10 

Year Average Value

Current Ratio 0.17 0.16 0.01

A current ratio is calculated by dividing current assets 

by current liabilities. It indicates an entity's ability to 

meet short term debt obligations. 0.16

Quick Ratio 0.17 0.16 0.01

This quick ratio is calculated by dividing liquid assets 

(cash, cash equivalents and short term investments, 

current receivables) by current liabilities. It is a 

measure of an entity's ability to meet its short term 

obligations using its most liquid assets (near cash or 

quick assets). 0.15

Cash Ratio 0.15 0.14 0.01

Cash ratio is calculated by dividing absolute liquid 

assets (cash, cash equivalents, and short-term 

investments) by current liabilities. 0.11

Source: Ratios computed from amounts reported on Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40.

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 79

Excluding the missed payments into the RHBF will result in a higher current ratio of 0.46. 

See Table IV-6. This is an improvement of 0.08 over the prior fiscal year, but remained 

lower than the historic 10-year average of 0.21.

Quick Ratio

The quick ratio is an indication of the liquidity of the entity in the near future and reflects 

whether sufficient funds are available to meet short term obligations to creditors. At the 

close of FY 2016, the quick ratio equaled 0.17, an increase of 0.01 from FY 2015 and 0.02 

above the 10-year historic average. This means that the Postal Service’s cash and accounts 

receivables grew at a faster rate than its current liabilities.

Cash Ratio

The cash ratio measures the amount of cash, cash equivalents, or short term investments

available to cover current liabilities. The cash ratio is calculated by dividing total liquid 

assets by current liabilities. The FY 2016 cash ratio had a value of 0.15, an improvement 

over FY 2015, but like the two previous ratios, the cash ratio indicates that the Postal 

Service does not have enough cash and/or cash equivalents (the most liquid assets) to meet 

all current liabilities.

The improved liquidity-related ratios were largely a result of the increased amount of cash 

on hand held by the Postal Service. Although there is improvement in the Postal Service 

liquidity ratios, its working capital has deteriorated.

WORKING CAPITAL ANALYSIS

The Postal Service’s FY 2016 working capital was negative $45.1 billion. Working capital is 

the amount by which the value of current assets exceeds current liabilities and is a liquid 

financial cushion available for emergencies and other unplanned needs. The Postal Service 

had no working capital at the end of FY 2016. The net deterioration of $4.1 billion in 

working capital from the prior fiscal year was largely due to the growth in employeerelated liabilities, including the statutory accruals for payments into the RHBF. Working 

capital, excluding the missed payments into the RHBF, was negative $11.2 billion. This 

represents a deterioration of $1.59 billion over the prior fiscal year.

Figure IV-1 highlights the increasing deficit in retained earnings that began in FY 2007. 

Available liquidity is calculated as a combination of working capital and remaining 

borrowing capacity.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 80

Figure IV-1

Postal Service Liquidity and Retained Deficit Trends

 (70,000)

 (60,000)

 (50,000)

 (40,000)

 (30,000)

 (20,000)

 (10,000)

 -

 10,000

FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

$ in millions

Retained Earnings (Deficit) Liquidity Available

 Source: Postal Service Form 10-K and USPS Annual Report, FY 2006-FY2016

Financial Activity Analysis

Trend Analysis

Trend analysis compares the Postal Service’s financial statements over a number of years 

to evaluate its performance and the changes over a period of time from a base year. FY 

2006 is used as the base year, as it is the first year within the past 10-year period in which 

the Postal Service reported a net operating income. Figure IV-2 shows the trends for assets 

and liabilities since the base year. For each fiscal year, the total change from the base year 

is expressed as a percentage.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 81

Figure IV-2

Change in Assets and Liabilities Since FY 2006

 

The Postal Service’s assets began declining in FY 2007 and continued to decline through FY 

2013, with a slight improvement in FY 2009 and the last three fiscal years. Conversely, 

liabilities have risen steadily since the base year FY 2006. The Postal Service’s liabilities in 

FY 2016 more than doubled since the base year. Current assets (primarily cash and cash 

equivalents) increased from the base year as the safety net of available borrowing was 

depleted. After taking depreciation into account, FY 2016 net property, plant, and 

equipment values decreased 33.8 percent from the base year. This is primarily due to a lack 

of capital investments and because fully depreciated assets have not been replaced.

Figure IV-3 shows that current and noncurrent liabilities trended upwards from the base 

year, largely due to increasing balances in employee-related liabilities such as mandatory 

RHBF payments and future workers’ compensation obligations. Current assets, comprised 

primarily of cash and cash equivalents, increased insignificantly when compared to the 

trend in current liabilities. Noncurrent assets, consisting largely of property and 

 Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K and USPS Annual Reports
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 82

equipment, held relatively flat with a slight downward trend reflecting limited capital 

spending and depreciating fixed assets.

Figure IV-3

Trends in Assets and Liabilities Since FY 2006

Figure IV-4 shows the trends for revenue and expenses from the base year FY 2006. 

Revenue decreased 1.6 percent from the base year while operating expenses increased 7.3 

percent from the base year. The FY 2016 percentages reflect an unfavorable impact on net 

income because operating expenses increased significantly and revenue decreased slightly 

when compared to the base year. However, total revenue has been increasing since 

FY 2012. The accrual of the RHBF payments contributed to the 456.2 percent increase in 

retiree health benefit expenses. Compensation and benefits decreased by 8.8 percent from 

the base year.

Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K and USPS Annual Reports
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 83

Figure IV-4

Change in Revenue and Expenses Since FY 2006

 

Operating revenue has trended relatively flat since FY 2006. Similar to the growth in 

current liabilities, retiree health benefit payments including the mandatory RHBF accruals 

and workers’ compensation expense have trended upwards from the base year. 

See Table IV-5.

Figure IV-5

Trends in Operating Revenue and Operating Expenses Since FY 2006

 Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K and USPS Annual Reports

Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K and USPS Annual Reports
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 84

Financial Solvency Analysis

ALTMAN Z-SCORE

The financial strength of an entity can be evaluated through the use of a variety of metrics. 

In conjunction with financial ratios, these metrics are used to gauge an entity’s long-term 

viability.

The Major Mailers Association, National Association of Presort Mailers, and National Postal 

Policy Council jointly filed initial comments questioning the applicability of the Altman ZScore in analyzing the financial condition of the Postal Service.59 They contend that the 

model is outdated and that a model derived from a sample of manufacturing firms subject 

to bankruptcy law is not valid for a service firm.60 They also question whether a model 

derived from a sample of publicly-traded private firms is relevant to a government agency. 

They further state that the Commission’s presentation is incomplete because it excludes 

the fifth ratio, Sales to Total Assets.61

Although the model was developed in 1968 as a tool to examine the likelihood that a 

publicly-traded private company may file for bankruptcy,

62 it has since been used as a 

measure to analyze the financial health of state and local governments and continues to be 

widely accepted as a measure of an entity’s financial health.63 The Altman Z-Score model 

used in the analysis is the revised Z-Score Model adapted specifically for nonmanufacturing firms to calculate the score without the capital turnover ratio (sales/total 

assets) so as to minimize the potential effect of different methods of financing assets.64

The Postal Service’s Altman Z-Score gives insight into the Postal Service’s financial health 

in light of the fact that the Postal Service has reached its maximum statutory borrowing 

limit of $15 billion accessed from the Federal Financing Bank. Cash generated from 

operations is the only source of income available to satisfy daily operating expenses and 

invest in capital assets.

The Altman Z-Score is a quantitative model designed to predict the financial distress of a 

business. It uses a blend of four traditional financial ratios and a statistical method known 

 

59 Comments of the Major Mailers Association, National Association of Presort Mailers, and the National Postal Policy Council, PRC Docket No. 

ACR2016 (Feb. 2, 2017), at 2.

60 Id. at 18, 19.

61 Id.

62 The Postal Service, as a governmental unit, is not considered a “person” who may be a debtor under the Bankruptcy Code. See 11 U.S.C. 

§§109(d); 101(41). The Altman Z-Score is used as a metric that may be instructive in comparing the Postal Service with other business entities 

which may be subject to bankruptcy. Use of the Altman Z-Score does not suggest that the Postal Service has the potential to file for bankruptcy.

63See Fischer, Mary, et al, Fiscal Health Analysis Of Texas And Its Municipalities, Journal of Business and Economics Research – Second Quarter 

2015, Volume 13, Number 2. 

64 Id.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 85

as multiple discriminant analysis. The Altman Z-Score is interpreted against discrimination 

ranges, which provide context as to what an individual Altman Z-Score means to an entity’s 

financial health. A lower Altman Z-Score reflects higher odds of bankruptcy65 and financial 

distress. In particular, the discrimination ranges divide Altman Z-Scores into three zones:

• 1.1 or Less = Distress Zone

• 1.1 to 2.6 = Grey Zone

• 2.6 or More = Safe Zone

As shown in Table IV-7, the Postal Service’s Altman Z-Score was negative 6.4 at the end of 

FY 2016. The Postal Service’s FY 2016 Altman Z-Score was slightly worse than the FY 2015 

score of negative 6.1.

Table IV-7

Altman Z-Score - FY 2016

In FY 2006, the Postal Service had a positive Altman Z-Score of 0.2 and positive scores for 

all ratio values except for the Working Capital/Total Assets ratio. See Table IV-8.

 

65 Although the Postal Service has reached its borrowing limit, it is ineligible for Federal bankruptcy protection under current law. See 11 U.S.C. 

§§ 101(41), 109.

Ratio Calculation

Ratio Value 

on 

9/30/2016

Weighting 

Factor

Product 

(col. 3 * col. 

4)

1 2 3 4 5

T1 Working Capital/Total Assets (1.8) 1.2 (2.1)

T2 Retained Earnings/Total Assets (2.2) 1.4 (3.1)

T3 Earnings/Total Assets (0.2) 3.3 (0.7)

T4 Capital/Total Liabilities (0.7) 0.6 (0.4)

Altman Z-Score (6.4)

Negative amount is denoted by (). 

Source: Ratios computed from amounts reported on Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 40.

Numbersmay not addacross due to rounding.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 86

Table IV-8

Altman Z-Score - FY 2006

 

Deconstructing the Altman Z-Score

Working Capital to Total Assets

The Working Capital to Total Assets ratio measures a company’s efficiency and its shortterm financial health by comparing its net current assets to its total assets. Working capital 

is a company’s current assets less its current liabilities. Therefore, a change in the total 

amount of current assets without a change of the same amount in current liabilities will 

result in a change in the amount of working capital. Similarly, a change in the total amount 

of current liabilities without an identical change in the total amount of current assets will 

cause a change in working capital.

Positive working capital means that the company is able to meet its short-term obligations. 

Negative working capital means that a company’s current assets cannot meet its short-term 

liabilities; it could have problems paying back creditors in the short term, ultimately 

adversely affecting its financial position. Companies with healthy, positive working capital 

should not have problems paying their bills. The Postal Service’s working capital to total 

assets ratio is shown in Figure IV-6.

Ratio Calculation

Ratio Value 

on 

9/30/2006

Weighting 

Factor

Product 

(col. 3 * col. 

4)

1 2 3 4 5

T1 Working Capital/Total Assets (0.3) 1.2 (0.4)

T2 Retained Earnings/Total Assets 0.2 1.4 0.3

T3 Earnings/Total Assets 0.0 3.3 0.1

T4 Capital/Total Liabilities 0.3 0.6 0.2

Altman Z-Score 0.2

Negative amount is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Ratios computed from amounts reported on USPS FY 2006 Annual Report at 42.
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 87

Figure IV-6

Change in Weighted Ratio: Working Capital/Total Assets Since FY 2006

-2.5

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

Weighted Ratio Value

An increasing Working Capital to Total Assets ratio over time is usually a positive sign, 

showing improving liquidity. This ratio increased briefly for the Postal Service from 

FY 2008–FY 2009 and has declined in succeeding fiscal years. A decreasing Working Capital 

to Total Assets ratio is usually a negative sign, indicating greater amount of total current 

liabilities, reducing the amount of working capital available. The steep decline in this ratio 

post FY 2012 may have resulted from the accruing of the defaulted prefunding retiree 

health payments.

Retained Earnings to Total Assets

The retained earnings of a company are the percentage of net earnings retained for future 

use. They are “retained” to be reinvested in the firm or used to pay down debt. Retained 

earnings are calculated as follows:

• Previous year’s retained earnings + current year’s net income (net loss)

The ratio of retained earnings to total assets helps measure the extent to which a company 

relies on debt, or leverage. The lower the ratio, the more a company is funding assets by 

borrowing instead of through retained earnings, which again increases the risk of financial 

distress if the firm cannot meet its debt obligations. The Retained Earnings to Total Assets 

ratio measures the company’s ability to accumulate earnings using its total assets. The 

Postal Service’s retained earnings to total assets is shown in Figure IV-7.

 Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K and USPS Annual Reports
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 88

Figure IV-7

Change in Weighted Ratio: Retained Earnings/Total Assets Since FY 2006

-3.5

-3.0

-2.5

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

Weighted Ratio Value

This ratio has steadily declined for the Postal Service since FY 2006. A decreasing Retained 

Earnings to Total Assets ratio is usually a negative sign, indicating possible problems with a 

company’s profitability. As an entity grows and matures, this ratio is expected to increase. 

Recurring losses suffered after FY 2007 by the Postal Service has eroded its retained 

earnings as reflected in the continued decline in this ratio.

Earnings to Total Assets

Earnings to Total Assets is a variation on return on assets, which is net income divided by 

total assets. This ratio assesses a firm’s ability to generate profits from its assets. The Postal 

Service’s earnings to total assets is shown in Figure IV-8.

Figure IV-8

Change in Weighted Ratio: Earnings/Total Assets Since FY 2006

-2.5

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

Weighted Ratio Value

Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K and USPS Annual Reports

 Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K and USPS Annual Reports
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 89

FY 2006 showed a positive ratio during the Postal Reorganization Act (PRA) regime when 

revenue were required to cover costs (break-even). The effects of the Great Recession of 

2008–2009 are captured in the large decrease in the ratio over those years. The exigent 

surcharge in FY 2014 improved profitability through FY 2016.66

Capital to Total Liabilities

The ratio of Capital to Total Liabilities shows the extent to which an entity’s value can 

decline before its liabilities exceed its assets. Generally, a higher capital balance indicates a 

greater likelihood of future survival. The Postal Service’s capital to total liabilities is shown 

in Figure IV-9.

Figure IV-9

Change in Weighted Ratio: Capital/Total Liabilities Since FY 2006

-0.5

-0.4

-0.3

-0.2

-0.1

0.0

0.1

0.2

FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

Weighted Ratio Value

For purposes of the Altman Z-Score, capital is calculated as the book value of equity which 

for the Postal Service is capital contributions and retained earnings. The Postal Service’s 

recurring net losses and increasing liabilities are reflected in the decline in this ratio.

Shift in Altman Z-Score

When analyzing the Altman Z-Score, it is important to analyze the trend over time. In the 

case of the Postal Service, the steady decline, as shown in Figure IV-10, is a reflection of the 

erosion of retained earnings caused by consecutive net losses and the RHBF prefunding 

statutory obligation.

 

66 See Docket No. R2013-11, Order No. 1926, Order Granting Exigent Price Increase, December 24, 2013.

 Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K and USPS Annual Reports
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 90

Figure IV-10

Change in Altman Z-Score Since FY 2006

-7.0

-6.0

-5.0

-4.0

-3.0

-2.0

-1.0

0.0

1.0

FY06 FY07 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

 Source: Postal Service FY 2006 to FY 2016 Forms 10-K and USPS Annual Reports
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 91

Appendix A.

FY 2016 Volume, Revenue, Cost, and Cost Coverage 

by Class, Current Classification (Products)
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 92

Appendix A

Fiscal Year 2016 Volume, Revenue, Cost, and Cost Coverage by Class

Current Classification (Products)

Contribution to Contribution to

Attributable Institutional Institutional

Volume Revenue Cost Cost Rev./Pc. Cost/Pc. Cost/Pc. Cost

(000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) (Cents) (Cents) (Cents) Coverage

COMPETITIVE MAIL

Priority Mail Express 33,043 809,413 356,733 452,680 2,449.578 1,079.604 1,369.974 226.9%

Priority Mail 1,004,246 7,784,881 6,127,926 1,656,955 775.196 610.201 164.995 127.0%

Ground Parcels 2,457,488 5,191,580 3,055,287 2,136,292 211.256 124.326 86.930 169.9%

First-Class Package Service 776,203 2,075,729 1,468,552 607,177 267.421 189.197 78.224 141.3%

Competitive International Mail 228,447 1,791,647 1,049,099 742,548 784.273 459.231 325.042 170.8%

Competitive Domestic Services 833,078 425,518 407,560 195.8%

Competitive International Services 9,083 7,325 1,757 124.0%

Total Competitive Mail and Services 4,499,428 18,495,410 12,490,441 6,004,969 411.061 277.601 133.461 148.1%

MARKET DOMINANT MAIL

First-Class Mail

Single-Piece Letters and Cards 19,705,721 9,819,199 5,553,780 4,265,419 49.829 28.184 21.646 176.8%

Presort Letters and Cards 39,943,145 15,468,949 4,576,888 10,892,061 38.727 11.459 27.269 338.0%

Flats 1,570,219 2,206,568 1,530,758 675,811 140.526 97.487 43.039 144.1%

Parcels 253,945 712,064 587,983 124,081 280.401 231.540 48.862 121.1%

Outbound Single-Piece Mail Intl 171,873 261,571 152,774 108,797 152.188 88.888 63.301 171.2%

Inbound Single-Piece Mail Intl 605,360 590,247 618,734 (28,488) 97.503 102.209 (4.706) 95.4%

Total First-Class Mail 62,250,262 29,058,598 13,020,917 16,037,681 46.680 20.917 25.763 223.2%

Standard Mail

High Density & Saturation Letters 6,991,880 1,079,362 492,367 586,995 15.437 7.042 8.395 219.2%

High Density & Saturation Flats & Parcels 11,100,927 2,020,866 1,196,734 824,132 18.204 10.780 7.424 168.9%

Carrier Route 6,783,061 1,831,122 1,331,279 499,843 26.996 19.627 7.369 137.5%

Letters 48,858,797 10,162,967 5,023,146 5,139,821 20.801 10.281 10.520 202.3%

Flats 6,340,264 2,380,486 2,984,593 (604,107) 37.546 47.074 (9.528) 79.8%

Parcels 44,767 53,777 83,272 (29,495) 120.128 186.014 (65.886) 64.6%

Every Door Direct Mail - Retail 810,238 146,125 54,055 92,070 18.035 6.672 11.363 270.3%

Inbound NSA Mail Intl 0 0 0 0

Total Standard Mail 80,929,933 17,674,705 11,165,446 6,509,258 21.840 13.796 8.043 158.3%

Periodicals

Within County 534,172 61,732 87,018 (25,286) 11.557 16.290 (4.734) 70.9%

Outside County 5,052,010 1,444,981 1,950,201 (505,220) 28.602 38.602 (10.000) 74.1%

Total Periodicals 5,586,182 1,506,713 2,037,219 (530,506) 26.972 36.469 (9.497) 74.0%

Package Services

Alaska Bypass 1,282 33,517 19,714 13,803 2,614.376 1,537.729 1,076.647 170.0%

Inbound Surface Parcel Post (at UPU Rates) 0 0 0 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0%

Bound Printed Matter Flats 264,935 209,618 130,558 79,060 79.120 49.279 29.841 160.6%

Bound Printed Matter Parcels 249,957 289,659 276,853 12,805 115.884 110.761 5.123 104.6%

Media and Library Mail 74,999 266,585 354,337 (87,752) 355.453 472.458 (117.005) 75.2%

Total Package Services 591,173 799,378 781,463 17,916 135.219 132.189 3.031 102.3%

U.S. Postal Service Mail 421,035

Free Mail 45,316 37,068 (37,068) 81.799

Total Market Dominant Mail 149,823,902 49,039,395 27,042,113 21,997,281 32.731 18.049 14.682 181.3%

Market Dominant Services

Ancillary Services

Certified Mail 670,497 521,116 149,381 128.7%

COD 2,029 4,941 (2,912) 41.1%

Insurance 76,946 42,845 34,101 179.6%

Registered Mail 31,637 16,251 15,386 194.7%

Stamped Envelopes 9,083 9,512 (429) 95.5%

Stamped Cards 605 253 352 238.8%

Other Ancillary Services 447,461 206,810 240,651 216.4%

Money Orders 156,747 116,707 40,040 134.3%

Post Office Box Service 283,969 229,569 54,400 123.7%

Caller Service 94,351 23,140 71,210

Other Special Services 37,569 12,800 24,769

International Services 43,339 41,145 2,194 105.3%

Total Market Dominant Services 1,854,232 1,225,091 629,141

Other Income 2,050,269 2,050,269

Other International Mail Attributable 58,170

Total Mail and Services 154,323,329 71,439,306 40,815,814 30,681,661 46.292 26.448 19.881 175.0%

Institutional Costs 36,305,275

Appropriations: Revenue Forgone 59,209

Investment Income 31,910

Total Revenues 71,530,424

Total Costs 77,121,089

Net Income (Loss) (5,590,665)

Source: Library Reference PRC-FinRpt16-NP1
FY 2016 Financial Analysis Report 93

Appendix A.2

Fiscal Year 2016 Volume, Revenue, Cost, and Cost Coverage by Class

Current Classification (Products)

Incremental Contribution to Contribution to

Variable/Prod.Spec Cost Institutional Institutional

Volume Revenue Cost With Final Adj Cost Rev./Pc. Cost/Pc. Cost/Pc. Cost

(000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) (Cents) (Cents) (Cents) Coverage

COMPETITIVE MAIL

Priority Mail Express 33,043 809,413 356,733 375,496 433,917 2,449.578 1,136.387 1,313.190 215.6%

Priority Mail 1,004,246 7,784,881 6,127,926 6,204,357 1,580,524 775.196 617.812 157.384 125.5%

Ground Parcels 2,457,488 5,191,580 3,055,287 3,089,194 2,102,386 211.256 125.705 85.550 168.1%

First-Class Package Service 776,203 2,075,729 1,468,552 1,471,812 603,917 267.421 189.617 77.804 141.0%

Competitive Domestic Services 833,078 425,518 407,560 195.8%

TOTAL DOMESTIC COMPETITIVE COSTS 4,270,981 16,694,680 11,434,016 11,720,343 4,974,337 390.886 274.418 116.468 142.4%

Competitive International Mail 228,447 1,791,647 1,049,099 742,548 784.273 0.000 325.042 170.8%

Competitive International Services 9,083 7,325 1,757

Total Competitive Mail and Services 4,499,428 18,495,410 12,490,441 11,720,343 5,716,885 411.061 277.601 127.058 148.1%

MARKET DOMINANT MAIL

First-Class Mail

Single-Piece Letters and Cards 19,705,721 9,819,199 5,553,780 5,757,027 4,062,172 49.829 29.215 20.614 170.6%

Presort Letters and Cards 39,943,145 15,468,949 4,576,888 4,648,648 10,820,302 38.727 11.638 27.089 332.8%

Flats 1,570,219 2,206,568 1,530,758 1,533,614 672,954 140.526 97.669 42.857 143.9%

Parcels 253,945 712,064 587,983 589,716 122,348 280.401 232.222 48.179 120.7%

Outbound Single-Piece Mail Intl 171,873 261,571 152,774 108,797 152.188 63.301 171.2%

Inbound Single-Piece Mail Intl 605,360 590,247 618,734 (28,488) 97.503 (4.706) 95.4%

Total First-Class Mail 62,250,262 29,058,598 13,020,917 12,818,784 15,758,086 46.680 20.592 25.314 226.7%

Standard Mail

High Density & Saturation Letters 6,991,880 1,079,362 492,367 495,114 584,248 15.437 7.081 8.356 218.0%

High Density & Saturation Flats & Parcels 11,100,927 2,020,866 1,196,734 1,217,017 803,849 18.204 10.963 7.241 166.1%

Carrier Route 6,783,061 1,831,122 1,331,279 1,335,144 495,978 26.996 19.683 7.312 137.1%

Letters 48,858,797 10,162,967 5,023,146 5,141,729 5,021,238 20.801 10.524 10.277 197.7%

Flats 6,340,264 2,380,486 2,984,593 2,998,597 (618,111) 37.546 47.295 (9.749) 79.4%

Parcels 44,767 53,777 83,272 83,281 (29,503) 120.128 186.032 (65.904) 64.6%

Every Door Direct Mail - Retail 810,238 146,125 54,055 92,070 18.035 11.363 270.3%

Inbound NSA Mail Intl 0 0 0 0

Total Standard Mail 80,929,933 17,674,705 11,165,446 11,814,097 6,349,769 21.840 14.598 7.846 149.6%

Periodicals

Within County 534,172 61,732 87,018 87,049 (25,317) 11.557 16.296 (4.739) 70.9%

Outside County 5,052,010 1,444,981 1,950,201 1,955,769 (510,788) 28.602 38.713 (10.111) 73.9%

Total Periodicals 5,586,182 1,506,713 2,037,219 2,043,466 (536,105) 26.972 36.581 (9.597) 73.7%

Package Services

Alaska Bypass 1,282 33,517 19,714 19,714 13,803 2,614.376 1,537.729 1,076.647 170.0%

Inbound Surface Parcel Post (at UPU Rates) 0 0 0 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0%

Bound Printed Matter Flats 264,935 209,618 130,558 130,586 79,032 79.120 49.290 29.831 160.5%

Bound Printed Matter Parcels 249,957 289,659 276,853 277,081 12,578 115.884 110.852 5.032 104.5%

Media and Library Mail 74,999 266,585 354,337 354,891 (88,306) 355.453 473.196 (117.743) 75.1%

Total Package Services 591,173 799,378 781,463 782,835 17,107 135.219 132.421 2.894 102.1%

U.S. Postal Service Mail 421,035

Free Mail 45,316 37,068 37,071 37,071 81.806

Total Market Dominant Mail 149,823,902 49,039,395 27,042,113 21,625,927 32.731 14.434 181.3%

Market Dominant Services

Ancillary Services

Certified Mail 670,497 521,116 525,737 144,760 127.5%

COD 2,029 4,941 4,941 (2,912) 41.1%

Insurance 76,946 42,845 42,846 34,099 179.6%

Registered Mail 31,637 16,251 16,252 15,385 194.7%

Stamped Envelopes 9,083 9,512 9,841 (758) 92.3%

Stamped Cards 605 253 253 352 238.8%

Other Ancillary Services 447,461 206,810 208,902 238,559 214.2%

Money Orders 156,747 116,707 171,686 (14,939) 91.3%

Post Office Box Service 283,969 229,569 246,049 37,920 115.4%

Caller Service 94,351 23,140 23,141 71,210 407.7%

Other Special Services 37,569 12,800 6,792 30,776 553.1%

International Services 43,339 41,145 2,194 105.3%

Total Market Dominant Services 1,854,232 1,225,091 1,269,177 556,647

Other Income 2,050,269 2,050,269

Other International Mail Attributable 58,170

Total Mail and Services 154,323,329 71,439,306 40,815,814 29,949,728 46.292 19.407 175.0%

Institutional Costs 36,305,275

Appropriations: Revenue Forgone 59,209

Investment Income 31,910

Total Revenues 71,530,424

Total Costs 77,121,089

Net Income (Loss) (5,590,665)

Source: Library Reference PRC-FinRpt16-NP1

With FY 2016 Incremental Cost Adjustments