Financial Analysis of

United States Postal Service

Financial Results and 10-K Statement

Fiscal Year 2019

May 7, 2020

Postal Regulatory Commission

Submitted 5/7/2020 1:01:28 PM

Filing ID: 113084

Accepted 5/7/2020
Table of Contents

Chapter I. Overview...............................................................................................................................1

Purpose of This Report................................................................................................................................... 1

The Postal Service is Not Financially Stable—Key Findings............................................................ 2

Chapter II. Postal Service Financial Status....................................................................................7

Introduction........................................................................................................................................................ 7

Analysis of Income Statements.................................................................................................................... 8

 Market Dominant Revenue Compared to Prior Year..............................................................10

 Competitive Product Revenue Compared to Prior Year........................................................13

 Expense Analysis as Compared to Prior Year ............................................................................13

 Personnel Expenses as Share of Total Expenses ......................................................................14

 Personnel Expenses .............................................................................................................................15

 Non-Personnel Expenses...................................................................................................................20

Comparison of Postal Service Actual Results to Operating Plan..................................................21

Financial Ratio Analysis ...............................................................................................................................25 

Operating Ratio......................................................................................................................................25

 Return on Assets ...................................................................................................................................26

Analysis of Balance Sheets ..........................................................................................................................27

 Assets.........................................................................................................................................................30

 Liabilities..................................................................................................................................................31

 Balance Sheet Trend Analysis..........................................................................................................32

 Debt Ratio.................................................................................................................................................32

 Current Liability Ratio ........................................................................................................................34

 Cash Ratio.................................................................................................................................................35

Analysis of Statements of Cash Flows.....................................................................................................35

 Cash Flow Ratio Analysis...................................................................................................................37

Chapter III. Volume, Revenue, and Cost Trends .......................................................................39

Overview............................................................................................................................................................39

 Overall Volume, Revenue, and Cost Trends..........................................................................................39

 Attributable and Institutional Cost Calculation ..................................................................................39

 Market Dominant Products and Services....................................................................................40

 Market Dominant Volume Trends..................................................................................................41

 Market Dominant Revenue and Cost Trends .............................................................................42

 Competitive Products and Services ...............................................................................................43

 Market Dominant Volume, Revenue, and Cost Trends by Class ....................................................46

 First-Class Mail .................................................................................................................................................46

 First-Class Mail Letters Compared with FY 2018 ....................................................................46

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

 First-Class Mail Flats Compared with FY 2018.........................................................................50

 Trends in First-Class Mail Flats.......................................................................................................51

 Other First-Class Mail Compared with FY 2018 .......................................................................54
USPS Marketing Mail..........................................................................................................................................55

 USPS Marketing Mail Letters Compared with FY 2018 .........................................................55

 Trends in USPS Marketing Mail Letters .......................................................................................57

 USPS Marketing Mail Flats Compared with FY 2018..............................................................58

 Trends in USPS Marketing Mail Flats............................................................................................59

Periodicals .............................................................................................................................................................62

 Periodicals Compared with FY 2018.............................................................................................62

 Trends in Periodicals...........................................................................................................................63

Package Services .................................................................................................................................................66

Market Dominant Special Services...............................................................................................................68

Competitive Volume, Revenue, and Cost by Product............................................................................69

 Trends in Competitive Products .....................................................................................................71

Chapter IV. Cost and Profit Analysis .............................................................................................74

Introduction......................................................................................................................................................74

Contribution Margin Income Statement................................................................................................74

Analysis of Cost Segments...........................................................................................................................80

Analysis of Employee Labor Cost .............................................................................................................82

Appendix A—FY 2019 Volume, Revenue, Incremental Cost, and Cost Coverage by

Class, Current Classification (Products)

Appendix B—Total Factor Productivity
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 1 -

Chapter I. Overview

Purpose of This Report

Prior to Fiscal Year 2012, the Commission’s Annual Compliance Determinations (ACD) 

included a chapter reporting on the Postal Service’s overall financial health that identified 

certain Postal Service financial highlights or setbacks for the year under review, but was 

not a comprehensive discussion of the financial position of the Postal Service. Given the 

continued interest in the Postal Service’s financial health, the Commission determined that 

providing a separate, more comprehensive financial review would be beneficial.

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Postal Service’s financial health primarily 

using information reported in its FY 2019 Form 10-K measured against FY 2018 and its FY 

2019 Integrated Financial Plan (Financial Plan). Additionally, data filed with the FY 2019 

Annual Compliance Report (ACR), such as the Cost and Revenue Analysis report

(CRA), the Cost Segments and Components (CSC) report, and the Revenue, Pieces, and 

Weight (RPW) report, are utilized in developing this report.

The FY 2019 analysis does not include the impact of COVID-19 on the Postal Service. 

However, unaudited current volumes and preliminary financial projections provided by the 

Postal Service point to precipitous declines in mail volume and revenue, which would 

exacerbate the large financial losses it experienced in FY 2019. The Commission continues 

to communicate with the Postal Service and policymakers regarding the effects of the 

COVID-19 pandemic and the rapidly evolving financial situation of the Postal Service.

This year’s report is comprised of four chapters. Chapter 1 provides a summary of the 

Commission’s findings. The first section presents highlights from the remaining chapters. 

The second section presents a high-level view of the Postal Service’s Income Statement and 

Balance Sheet.

Chapter 2 analyzes the Postal Service’s overall financial status, with a focus on key figures 

in the Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement. The Commission 

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

statements to understand the Postal Service’s profitability, stability, and long-term 

viability.

Chapter 3 describes the calculation of attributable and institutional cost and examines the 

overall trends for Market Dominant and Competitive products and services. It includes 

comparisons of volume, revenue, and cost between FY 2018 and FY 2019 as well as trend 

analyses that highlight changes in volume, revenue, and cost that have occurred over time. 

It also provides analyses by cost segment.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 2 -

This year the Commission has restructured its analysis of the Postal Service’s Financial 

Results, moving the financial ratio analysis from Chapter 4 to Chapter 2 and developing a 

new Chapter 4 that divides broad categories of costs into segments categorized by function 

and includes a discussion of labor costs and workhours. The Commission then develops a 

contribution margin income statement that separates attributable and institutional costs 

by cost segments and facilitates analysis of the relationships between revenue, attributable 

costs, institutional costs, and overall net income or loss. The new Chapter 4 aims to provide 

a different view of the current financial condition of the Postal Service.

The Postal Service Is Not Financially Stable—

Key Findings

The Postal Service remains on an unsustainable financial path. In FY 2019, the Postal 

Service recorded a net loss from operations1 of $3.2 billion,2 an increase of 53 percent over 

the previous year. This loss represents a $1.1 billion decline in profitability. The increase in 

the FY 2019 net operating loss is the result of higher operating expenses.3 Net operating 

expenseswere $1.6 billion higher than in FY 2018, primarily driven by increases in 

compensation and benefits and transportation costs.

When Non-operating Expenses (NOEs) are included,4 the net operating loss of $3.2 billion 

becomes a total net loss of $8.8 billion. This is a decline of $4.9 billion compared to FY 

2018. The decline is largely driven by an increase in the non-cash adjustment to the 

workers’ compensation expense, resulting from a lower discount rate.5

Figure I-1 shows net income (loss) and net operating income (loss) results for the period 

FY 2010 to FY 2019.6

 

1 United States Postal Service, 2019 Report on Form 10-K, November 14, 2019 (Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K). Net income or loss from 

operations is also referred to as net operating income (loss).

2 The Commission’s calculation of net operating income (loss) differs from the controllable net income (loss) reported in Postal Service Form 10-

K by a negative $226 million and $138 million for FY 2019 and FY 2018, respectively. The Postal Service excludes the difference in the normal 

cost of Retiree Health Benefits from its controllable income (loss) because it is the result of actuarial changes. Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K 

at 18.

3 Operating expenses include compensation and benefits, transportation, as well as supplies and services, depreciation and amortization, rent, 

utilities, vehicle maintenance, delivery vehicle fuel, information technology and communications, rural carrier equipment maintenance and 

miscellaneous other.

4 NOEs include all non-cash workers’ compensation costs, accruals to retirement accounts, and one-time adjustments.

5 As will be discussed in more detail below, the workers’ compensation expense is highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and the 

fluctuation in the non-cash adjustment has no effect on Postal Service’s cash or operations.

6 The Postal Service’s fiscal year runs from October 1 of the preceding year through September 30.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 3 -

Figure I-1

Postal Service’s Financial Condition Has Declined in the Last Three Years

Source: United States Postal Service, 2010 Report on Form 10-K, November 15, 2010; United States Postal Service, 2011 Report on Form 10-K 

[Erratum], November 16, 2011; United States Postal Service, 2012 Report on Form 10-K, November 15, 2012; United States Postal Service, 2013 

Report on Form 10-K, January 31, 2014; United States Postal Service, 2014 Report on Form 10-K, December 5, 2014; United States Postal 

Service, 2015 Report on Form 10-K, November 13, 2015; United States Postal Service, 2016 Report on Form 10-K, November 15, 2016; United 

States Postal Service, 2017 Report on Form 10-K, November 14, 2017; United States Postal Service, 2018 Report on Form 10-K, November 14, 

2018 (Postal Service FY 2018 Form 10-K); Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K (collectively, Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2010–FY 2019).

As seen in Figure I-1, the Postal Service has not had a profitable year in the last decade. 

Even when excluding NOEs, the Postal Service has posted a net operating income for only 

three of the last 10 years, FY 2014 through FY 2016, when the exigent price increase was in 

effect.7

These continuing losses have negatively affected the financial position of the Postal Service, 

creating a substantial gap between the Postal Service’s assets and liabilities. During FY 

2019, total assets decreased by $1.1 billion while total liabilities increased by $7.8 billion. 

At the end of FY 2019, the Postal Service recorded total assets of $25.6 billion and total 

liabilities of $97.2 billion. In FY 2019, the Postal Service continued to accrue unpaid RHB 

expenses which, at the end of FY 2019, totaled $47.2 billion. In FY 2019, the Postal Service 

had current assets of $10.8 billion and current liabilities of $66.3 billion as seen in 

Figure I-2.

 

7 From January 2014 to April 2016, an exigent price surcharge allowed the Postal Service to recover $4.6 billion in net revenue above its price 

cap due to volume declines attributable to the Great Recession.

(20)

(15)

(10)

(5)

0

5

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Net Income (Loss) ($ in Billions)

Fiscal Year

Net Income (Loss) Net Operating Income (Loss)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 4 -

Figure I-2

The Gap Between the Postal Service’s Current Assets and Current Liabilities Has Increased 

Considerably Over the Last Decade

Source: Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2010–FY 2019.

If current assets are insufficient to meet its short-term liabilities, the Postal Service could 

have problems paying its creditors in the short term. As seen in Figure I-2 above, the gap 

between current assets and current liabilities has increased substantially since FY 2010. A 

restructuring of short-term debt to long-term debt in FY 2019 led to a $3.1 billion decrease 

in current liabilities, the only such decrease since FY 2010. At the end of FY 2019, the Postal 

Service’s outstanding debt, issued to the Federal Financing Bank, was financed at longerterm fixed rates and considered noncurrent.

The Postal Service’s liquidity continued to improve in FY 2019. During FY 2019, the Postal 

Service paid down a portion of its debt, allowing for $4 billion in available borrowing 

authority. Its debt includes two revolving credit facilities with the Federal Financing Bank, 

neither of which are fully drawn. There are two reasons for the improved liquidity: (1) the 

Postal Service has not made a payment to the RHBF since FY 2010, and (2) beginning in FY 

2017, the Postal Service has been required by statute to begin paying the amortization of 

the unfunded retirement benefits for the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) 

and Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The Postal Service has not made the required 

payments for these unfunded pension liabilities.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 5 -

Financial sustainability continues to erode due to large personnel-related liabilities and the 

slow replacement of fully depreciated capital assets. The overall financial condition is 

adversely impacted by insufficient current assets (42 percent of total assets) to cover 

current liabilities (68 percent of total liabilities).

At the end of FY 2019:

 The Postal Service’s total net loss in FY 2019 was $8.8 billion.

 The Postal Service’s cash and cash equivalents total, excluding $0.3 billion in 

restricted cash, was $8.8 billion; $1.3 billion lower than at the end of FY 2018. The 

Postal Service built up its cash by taking extraordinary actions to preserve liquidity, 

including defaulting on its prefunding obligations and failure to make payments

towards FERS and CSRS, cutting operating costs, and suspending all but the most 

essential capital investments.

 The Postal Service had $4 billion in available borrowing authority, resulting from 

payments to the United States Department of Treasury made during the fiscal year. 8 

However, significant balance sheet liabilities and off-balance sheet unfunded 

liabilities for pension and annuitant health benefits threaten the improvements in 

liquidity.

 The Postal Service recorded a $71.5 billion net deficit consisting of an accumulated 

deficit of $74.7 billion offset by capital contributions of $3.1 billion. This is primarily 

the result of several years of net operating losses that started in FY 2007.

 The Postal Service’s labor costs are large. Compensation and benefits expenses 

made up 70.3 percent of Postal Service’s total costs in FY 2019. Though the Postal 

Service aggressively reduced workhours between FY 2009 and FY 2014, this trend 

reversed in 2015 and workhours have continued to increase annually since then.

 First-Class Mail, Marketing Mail, and Shipping and Packages are the most important 

products for the Postal Service’s finances. Combined, they provided 93 percent of 

the revenue from Mail and Services in FY 2019. With the exception of an anemic 

increase in Shipping and Packages volume, both First-Class Mail and Marketing Mail 

experienced volume declines. This means that in FY 2019, total revenue increased 

by less than 1 percent, while total cost increased by 7.3 percent.9

 

8

In September 2018, the Postal Service paid down its debt by $1.8 billion, the first reduction in its annual debt since 2005. It made an additional 

payment of $2.2 billion in FY 2019.

9 Total costs are separated into attributable costs and institutional costs (also known as common costs). Attributable costs include items like 

mail processing, delivery carriers, transportation, and retail transactions. Total attributable costs increased by 2.2 percent in FY 2019. The 

percentage of costs that are attributable as reported in the CRA were 56 percent in FY 2019. Institutional costs include items like delivery 

infrastructure (i.e., 160 million delivery points in 2019), administrative support, and retail infrastructure (i.e., 31,322 post offices). In addition, 

the Postal Service’s institutional cost also includes substantial costs for retirement-related obligations and workers’ compensation. These costs 

are impacted by actuarial assumptions, health care inflation rates, and discount rates, and they experience more year-to-year fluctuation than 

the costs for common overhead that are largely driven by inflation. Total institutional costs increased 14.6 percent in FY 2019.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 6 -

 In FY 2019, consumer price index (CPI)-based price increases were not enough to 

offset revenue lost from declining Market Dominant mail volumes. Total Market 

Dominant revenue decreased by 1.6 percent.

 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 $1.7 billion in FY 2019.

 While parcel growth has been a bright spot in the Postal Service’s finances, in FY 

2019, Competitive products volume grew 0.2 percent, a rate of growth much lower 

than the 11.0 percent growth rate in FY 2018. Total revenue increased by 5.0 

percent or $1.1 billion and attributable cost increased by 3.2 percent or $0.5 billion.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 7 -

Chapter II. Postal Service Financial Status

Introduction

This chapter analyzes the Postal Service’s overall financial status, with a focus on key 

figures in the financial statements. The Commission evaluates relationships between the 

essential components of the Postal Service’s financial statements to understand the Postal 

Service’s profitability, stability, and long-term viability.

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

statements for FY 2019 and FY 2018, provides a basis for comparison. The Commission

also incorporates select key financial data from relevant time periods to support this 

analysis.

The Postal Service’s Form 10-K report consists of:

 Income Statements, which measure the Postal Service’s financial performance 

(profit and loss) over the fiscal year

 Balance Sheets, which summarize the Postal Service’s assets and liabilities held at 

the end of the fiscal year

 Statements of Changes in Net Deficiency, which combine the accumulated net deficit 

from operations and initial capital contributions

 Statements of Cash Flows, which measure the Postal Service’s inflows and outflows 

of cash during the fiscal year

This chapter is divided into the following sections:

Analysis of Income Statements. This section reviews overall income and expenses and 

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

reported during the prior fiscal year. It also includes an analysis of key financial ratios that 

help the Commission further assess the Postal Service’s profitability.

Analysis of Balance Sheets. This section begins with a summary of the Postal Service’s assets 

and liabilities at the end of the fiscal year. The section also discusses changes in net 

deficiency, which occurs because Postal Service liabilities exceed its assets. The remainder 

of the section provides a financial ratio analysis to assess both the short-term and longterm stability of the Postal Service.

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

outflows of cash and debt during the year.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 8 -

Analysis of Income Statements

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

Commission separately identifies elements of reported operating revenue and operating 

expenses.

Net operating revenue includes mail and services revenue as well as government 

appropriations revenue.10 Net operating expense is calculated as total expenses minus

payments for unfunded RHB, the supplemental contribution to the CSRS annuity, the 

supplemental contribution to the FERS annuity, and the non-cash adjustments to the 

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

as accrual entries on the Postal Service’s Income Statements and are disaggregated by the 

Commission to provide an in-depth analysis of the financial results for FY 2019. Table II-1 

illustrates the Commission’s disaggregated version of the Income Statements.

Table II-1

Analysis of Postal Service Income Statements, FY 2019 and FY 2018

($ in Millions)

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

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Docket No. ACR2019, Library Reference USPS-FY19-5, December 27, 2019; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference USPS-FY18-5, 

December 28, 2018; FY 2019 Plan data from USPS Preliminary Financial Information (Unaudited), September 2019, November 14, 2019, file 

"2019.11.14 September 2019 Monthly Financial Report to the PRC.pdf" (Postal Service September 2019 PFI Report).

The Postal Service incurred a net operating loss of $3.2 billion in FY 2019. In FY 2018, the 

Postal Service had a net operating loss of $2.1 billion. The FY 2019 loss represents a $1.1 

 

10 In FY 2019, $71 billion (99.8 percent) of total Postal Service revenue came from the sale of postage and mail services. It received a small 

governmental appropriation for providing free mail for the blind and overseas voting and a few other programs.

FY 2019 $ Variance 

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance Plan from Plan

Net Operating Revenue $ 71,154 $ 70,660 $ 494 $ 71,981 $ (827)

Operating Expense as Reported by the Postal Service 79,879 74,445 5,434 78,549 1,330

Less: Amortization of RHB Unfunded Liability (789) (815) 2 6 (1,100) 311

 Amortization of CSRS Unfunded Liability (1,617) (1,440) (177) (1,440) (177)

 Amortization of FERS Unfunded Liability (1,060) (958) (102) (958) (102)

 Non-Cash Change to Workers' Compensation Liability (2,155) 1,389 (3,544) - (2,155)

Net Operating Expense $ 74,258 $ 72,621 $ 1,637 $ 75,051 $ (793)

Interest Income 152 123 2 9 148 4

Interest Expense 240 251 (11) 220 2 0

Net Income (Loss) from Operations $ (3,192) $ (2,089) $ (1,103) $ (3,142) $ (50)

Amortization of RHBF Unfunded Liability 789 815 (26) 1,100 (311)

Amortization of CSRS Unfunded Liability 1,617 1,440 177 1,440 177

Amortization of FERS Unfunded Liability 1,060 958 102 958 102

Non-Cash Change to Workers' Compensation Liability 2,155 (1,389) 3,544 - 2,155

Net Loss $ (8,813) $ (3,913) $ (4,900) $ (6,640) $ (2,173)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 9 -

billion decline in profitability.11 The FY 2019 net operating loss is the result of higher 

operating expenses. Net operating expenseswere $1.6 billion higher than in FY 2018, 

primarily driven by increases in compensation and benefits and transportation costs. 

Operating revenue increased by $0.5 billion but was not enough to offset the increase in 

expenses.

After all adjustments and expenses are included, the net operating loss of $3.2 billion 

becomes a total net loss of $8.8 billion. This is a decline of $4.9 billion compared to FY 

2018. The decline is largely driven by an increase in the non-cash adjustment to workers’ 

compensation expense, resulting from a lower discount rate. Table II-2 details unpaid 

retirement expenses12 for FY 2019 and FY 2018.

Table II-2

Postal Service Unpaid Retirement Expenses, FY 2019 and FY 2018

($ in Millions)

Source: Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 63.

Beginning in FY 2017, the Postal Service was required to begin making annual amortization 

payments to pay down the unfunded CSRS liability by FY 2043, pursuant to the PAEA.13 The 

U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) billed the Postal Service for $1.6 billion and 

$1.4 billion for this liability in FY 2019 and FY 2018, respectively.

The Postal Service is required to make annual amortization payments to pay down the 

unfunded FERS liability over a 30-year period. OPM billed the Postal Service for $1.1 and 

$1.0 billion for amortization of this liability in FY 2019 and FY 2018, respectively. The 

PAEA established the RHBF to fund long-term RHBs for postal employees, retirees, and 

their survivors. From FY 2006 through FY 2016, the PAEA required the Postal Service to 

make annual payments into the RHBF in order to prefund future liabilities. Beginning in FY 

2017, these payments were replaced with annual amortization of the unfunded obligation 

as determined by OPM. In addition, the Postal Service began accruing the normal costs of 

retiree health benefits, also determined annually by OPM. In FY 2019, OPM billed the Postal 

 

11 The Commission’s calculation of net operating income (loss) differs from the controllable net income (loss) reported in Postal Service Form 

10-K by negative $226 million and $138 million for FY 2019 and FY 2018, respectively. The Postal Service excludes the difference in the normal 

cost of RHBs from its controllable income (loss) because it is the result of actuarial changes. Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 18.

12 Normal cost is the present value of the estimated RHB attributable to active employees’ current year of service.

13 Id. at 30.

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance

Annual Amortization of CSRS Unfunded Liability $ 1,617 $ 1,440 $ 177

Annual Amortization of FERS Unfunded Liability 1,060 958 102

Amortization of RHBF Unfunded Liability 789 815 (26)

Normal Costs of Retiree Health Benefits 3,775 3,666 109

Total Retirement Expense $ 7,241 $ 6,879 $ 362
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 10 -

Service for both the amortization payment and normal costs of retiree health benefits in 

the amounts of $0.8 billion and $3.8 billion, respectively.

14

MARKET DOMINANT REVENUE COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR

The discussion in this section summarizes the overall revenue by class for Market 

Dominant products. Chapter 3 presents a more detailed discussion of revenue by class and 

product. Table II-3 shows FY 2019 and FY 2018 revenue by class.

Table II-3

Revenue by Market Dominant Class15, FY 2019 and FY 2018

($ in Millions)

Decrease in revenue is denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1, March 25, 2020; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1, April 12, 2019.

Total Market Dominant Mail and Services revenue declined 1.3 percent from the prior year. 

First-Class Mail revenue declined by 2.1 percent and USPS Marketing Mail revenue declined 

by 0.9 percent. Periodicals revenue declined by 6.5 percent and Package Services revenue 

declined by 0.8 percent. The only Market Dominant class with increased revenue was 

Ancillary and Special Services,16 which increased by 4.9 percent compared to FY 2018. CPIbased price increases were not enough to offset revenue lost from declining volumes. 

Figure II-1 isolates the change in Market Dominant revenue due to changes in mail volume, 

mail mix, and average revenue per piece for each year since FY 2014. The exigent surcharge 

was in effect between FY 2014 and FY 2016.17 In FY 2016, Market Dominant products 

generated exigent surcharge revenue for 6 months before the surcharge expired in April 

2016. The expiration of the exigent surcharge is the primary reason for the decline in 

revenue per piece in FY 2017.18

 

14 The Postal Service states that “We did not make any of these 2019, 2018 or 2017 payments totaling approximately $13.3 billion as of 

September 30, 2019, in order to preserve liquidity and to ensure that our ability to fulfill our primary universal service mission was not placed at 

undue risk.” Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 6.

15 Other Market Dominant revenue includes appropriations, miscellaneous item revenue, and revenue foregone.

16 Ancillary and Special Services includes Certified Mail, Insurance, and Return Receipts, etc.

17 See Docket No. R2013-11, Order Granting Exigent Price Increase, December 24, 2013 (Order No. 1926).

18 The change in revenue per piece is affected by more than just rate changes. Changes in average weight per piece and—in the case of 

Periodicals—changes in the editorial/advertising content also influence the overall average revenue per piece. However, the predominant 

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

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance % Variance

First-Class Mail $ 25,462 $ 26,016 $ (554) (2.1%)

Marketing Mail 16,407 16,554 (147) (0.9%)

Periodicals 1,194 1,277 (83) (6.5%)

Package Services 821 828 (6) (0.8%)

Ancillary and Special Services 1,810 1,725 8 5 4.9%

Subtotal Market Dominant Mail and Services Revenue $ 45,695 $ 46,400 $ (705) (1.5%)

Other 1,299 1,196 103 8.6%

Total Market Dominant Mail and Services Revenue $ 46,994 $ 47,596 $ (602) (1.3%)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 11 -

Figure II-1

Change in Market Dominant Revenue Due to Changes in Mail Volume, Mail Mix, and Average 

Revenue per Piece, FY 2014–FY 2019

($ in Millions)

Source: PRC derived from Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference USPS-FY14-42, December 29, 2014; Docket No. ACR2015, Library 

Reference USPS-FY15-42, December 28, 2015; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference USPS-FY16-42, December 27, 2016; Docket No. 

ACR2017, Library Reference USPS-FY17-42, December 29, 2017; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference USPS-FY18-42, December 28, 2014; 

Library Reference USPS-FY19-42, December 27, 2019 (collectively, Postal Service RPW Report, FY 2014–FY 2019).

 44,000

 45,000

 46,000

 47,000

 48,000

 49,000

 50,000

 51,000

 52,000

 53,000

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 . 2019 $ Millions

Fiscal Year

Total Revenue

Change in Revenue from Volume

Change in Revenue from Mail Mix

Change in Revenue from Rev/Piece
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 12 -

Table II-4 shows the changes in revenue caused by revenue per piece, volume, and mail mix 

fluctuations. In order to analyze the change in revenue for FY 2019, the Commission 

isolates changes in revenue per piece, volume, and mail mix fluctuations. As Figure II-1 and 

Table II-4 show, for Market Dominant products, increases in revenue per piece were not 

enough to offset volume decline and mail mix changes.

Table II-4

Disaggregation of Change in Market Dominant Revenue, FY 2019

($ in Millions)

Source: PRC derived from Postal Service RPW Report, FY 2014–FY 2019.

Although Market Dominant mail revenue increased by $573 million primarily from the 

January 2019 price increases,19 declines in volume resulted in a $705 million net decrease 

in Market Dominant mail revenue. First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail lost $672 

million and $428 million, respectively, from volume declines. Mail mix fluctuations resulted 

in revenue declines in First-Class Mail ($159 million) and Periodicals ($59 million). Overall 

mail mix changes had a slight effect on overall revenue decline, accounting for $79 million 

of the total Market Dominant revenue loss.

 

19 See Docket No. R2019-1, United States Postal Service Notice of Market Dominant Price Change, October 10, 2018.

Change in 

Revenue from 

Changes in 

Revenue per 

Piece

Change in 

Revenue from 

Changes in 

Volume

Change in 

Revenue from 

Changes in Mail 

Mix

Net Change in 

Revenue

First-Class Mail $ 277 $ (672) $ (159) $ (554)

Periodicals 9 (33) (59) (83)

USPS Marketing Mail 198 (428) 8 2 (147)

Package Services 1 8 (21) (3) (6)

Special Services 7 1 (45) 5 9 8 5

Total Market Dominant $ 573 $ (1,199) $ (79) $ (705)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 13 -

COMPETITIVE PRODUCT REVENUE COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR

Competitive products’ overall revenue increased $1.2 billion or 5.0 percent. The 

Competitive products price increase (effective January 27, 2019)20 was the primary driver 

of the overall increase in revenue. Table II-5 compares revenue for Competitive products 

between FY 2019 and FY 2018.

Table II-5

Competitive Product Revenue, FY 2019 and FY 2018

($ in Millions)

Decrease in revenue denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference USPS-FY19-42.

EXPENSE ANALYSIS AS COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR

As shown in Table II-6, total expenses increased by $5.4 billion (7.3 percent) in FY 2019. 

Total operating expenses increased by $1.6 billion due to increases in personnel ($1.1 

billion) and transportation ($0.3 billion) expenses. Lower discount rates used to calculate 

the non-cash portion of workers’ compensation during FY 2019 resulted in an increase of 

$3.5 billion to the non-cash adjustment to workers’ compensation. CSRS and FERS 

amortization payments also increased by $177 million and $102 million, respectively, but 

were offset slightly by a $26 million decline in the RHB amortization payment.

 

20 See Docket No. CP2019-3, Order Approving Price Adjustments for Competitive Products, November 13, 2018 (Order No. 4876).

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance % Variance

Priority Mail $ 9,464 $ 9,103 $ 361 4.0%

Total Ground 7,271 6,912 359 5.2%

First-Class Packages 4,466 3,871 596 15.4%

Priority Mail Express 716 751 (35) (4.7%)

International 1,380 1,537 (157) (10.2%)

Ancillary and Special Services 911 883 2 7 3.1%

Subtotal Competitive Products Mail and Services Revenue $ 24,207 $ 23,057 $ 1,150 5.0%

Other Revenue 141 129 1 2 9.0%

Total Competitive Products Mail and Services Revenue $ 24,348 $ 23,187 $ 1,162 5.0%
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 14 -

Table II-6

Total Expenses, FY 2019 and FY 2018

($ in Millions)

Decrease in expenses is denoted by (). NM denotes not meaningful.

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: PRC derived from United States Postal Service, National Trial Balance and Statement of Revenue and Expenses, September 2019, 

November 14, 2019 (September 2019 Postal Service National Trial Balance); United States Postal Service, National Trial Balance and Statement 

of Revenue and Expenses, September 2018, November 14, 2018 (September 2018 Postal Service National Trial Balance).

PERSONNEL EXPENSES AS SHARE OF TOTAL EXPENSES

In FY 2019, personnel expenses excluding system-wide costs for non-cash adjustment to 

workers’ compensation and amortization costs of unfunded retirement liabilities made up 

70.3 percent of total expenses. This was a decline of 3.7 percentage points from FY 2018, 

when these expenses constituted 74.0 percent of total expenses. Although these personnel 

expenses increased by 2.0 percent over FY 2018, the variance in total expenses was much 

higher, primarily due to the large year-to-year fluctuation of the non-cash change to 

workers’ compensation liability.

Other non-personnel-related expenses, such as purchased transportation costs, were 10.2 

percent of total expenses—a decrease in share of 0.4 percentage points from FY 2018. 

Other Expenses21 constituted the remaining 12.4 percent share of total expenses, a 

decrease of 0.6 percentage points from the prior year.

 

21 Other expenses are comprised 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 2019 Form 10-K at 38.

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance % Variance FY 2019 FY 2018

Compensation & Benefits Expenses:

 Salaries and Benefits $ 50,723 $ 49,684 $ 1,039 2.1% 63.5% 66.7%

 Workers' Compensation - Cash Outlays 1,349 1,393 (44) (3.2%) 1.7% 1.9%

 Normal Costs of Retiree Health Benefits 3,774 3,666 108 2.9% 4.7% 4.9%

 Other Personnel-Related 317 320 (3) (1.0%) 0.4% 0.4%

Subtotal Personnel Expenses Excluding Systemwide Personnel Expenses $ 56,163 $ 55,063 $ 1,100 2.0% 70.3% 74.0%

Transportation 8,184 7,861 323 4.1% 10.2% 10.6%

Other Expenses 9,911 9,697 214 2.2% 12.4% 13.0%

Total Operating Expenses $ 74,258 $ 72,621 $ 1,637 2.3% 93.0% 97.5%

Systemwide Personnel Expenses:

Non-Cash Change to Workers' Compensation Liability 2,155 (1,389) 3,544 NMF 2.7% (1.9%)

Amortization of RHB Unfunded Liability 789 815 (26) (3.2%) 1.0% 1.1%

Amortization of FERS Unfunded Liability 1,060 958 102 10.6% 1.3% 1.3%

Amortization of CSRS Unfunded Liability 1,617 1,440 177 12.3% 2.0% 1.9%

Total Expenses $ 79,879 $ 74,445 $ 5,434 7.3% 100.0% 100.0%

% of Total Expenses
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 15 -

PERSONNEL EXPENSES

Table II-7 shows that total personnel expenses for FY 2019 increased by $4.9 billion from 

FY 2018, resulting from increases in both personnel operating expenses ($1.1 billion) and 

the non-cash adjustment to workers’ compensation liability22 ($3.5 billion). Compensation, 

retirement, and health benefit expenses all increased during FY 2019.

Table II-7

Breakdown of Total Personnel Expenses, FY 2019 and FY 2018

($ in Millions)

Decrease in expenses is denoted by (). NMF denotes not meaningful figures.

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: PRC derived from September 2019 Postal Service National Trial Balance; September 2018 Postal Service National Trial Balance.

Total compensation is comprised of 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), number of 

overtime workhours, and the composition of the work force. Total compensation in FY 

2019 increased by $0.09 billion compared to FY 2018 primarily due to contractual salary 

increases,23 COLAs, and additional overtime hours.24

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

mailhandler assistants, and other non-career employees. Table II-8 shows the number of 

employees by type for FY 2017, FY 2018, and FY 2019.

 

22 Workers’ compensation expense consists of cash payments, miscellaneous expenses, and the net increase (decrease) in the workers’ 

compensation liability.

23 Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 25.

24 Id.

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance % Variance

Total Compensation $ 38,756 $ 37,795 $ 961 2.5%

Retirement 6,846 6,720 126 1.9%

Health Benefits - Current Employees 5,121 5,169 (48) (0.9%)

Workers' Compensation - Cash Outlays 1,349 1,393 (44) (3.2%)

Normal Costs of Retiree Health Benefits 3,774 3,666 108 2.9%

Other Compensation 317 320 (3) (0.9%)

Total Personnel Operating Expenses $ 56,163 $ 55,063 $ 1,100 2.0%

Non-Cash Change to Workers' Compensation Liability 2,155 (1,389) 3,544 NMF

Amortization of RHB Unfunded Liability 789 815 (26) (3.2%)

Amortization of FERS Unfunded Liability 1,060 958 102 10.6%

Amortization of CSRS Unfunded Liability 1,617 1,440 177 12.3%

Total Personnel Expenses $ 61,784 $ 56,887 $ 4,897 8.6%
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 16 -

Table II-8

Postal Service Employee Complement, FY 2017–FY 2019

Decrease in expenses is denoted by (). 

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: United States Postal Service, On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics Report, September 2019, October 15, 2019 (Postal Service 

September 2019 ORPES Report); United States Postal Service, On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics Report, September 2018, October 10, 2018 

(Postal Service September 2018 ORPES Report); United States Postal Service, On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics Report, September 2017, 

October 6, 2017 (Postal Service September 2017 ORPES Report).

In FY 2019, the Postal Service’s career workforce remained essentially unchanged 

compared to the prior year. The non-career workforce declined by approximately 1,000 

employees. According to the Postal Service, this change resulted from normal attrition and 

conversions of non-career employees to career status as required by operational needs or 

contractual provisions.25

In May 2019, the Postal Service reached a 3-year agreement with the National Rural Letter 

Carriers Association, which includes general wage increases of 3.4 percent over the life of 

the contract.26 A July 2016 agreement with the American Postal Workers Union included 

general wage increases of 3.8 percent over the life of the contract and expired in September 

2018. In June 2019, the parties entered into interest arbitration, during which a threemember arbitration panel will decide the terms of the successor agreement. Both parties 

agreed to extend the contract terms until a new contract is reached through the arbitration 

process.27 A May 2017, 40-month agreement with the National Association of Letter 

Carriers (NALC) included general wage increases totaling 2.5 percent over the life of the 

contract. That contract expired in September 2019, after which both parties entered a 

dispute resolution process. The NALC agreement’s terms will be applicable until a new 

contract is reached.28 Figure II-2 illustrates the change in workhours for all hourly 

employees since FY 2004. This timeframe includes a significant reduction in workhours 

during the Great Recession and little net change in more recent years.

 

25 Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 25.

26 Id. at 5.

27 Id.

28 Id. at 6.

FY 2019 FY 2018 Change FY 2019 

over FY 2018

FY 2017 Change FY 2018 

over FY 2017

Career Employees 496,934 497,157 (223) 503,103 (5,946)

Postal Support Employees 26,251 26,386 (135) 26,823 (437)

City Carrier Assistants 42,121 42,115 6 44,486 (2,371)

Mailhandler Assistants 6,369 6,274 9 5 6,463 (189)

Other Non-Career 61,433 62,515 (1,082) 63,249 (734)

Total On-Roll Employees 633,108 634,447 (1,339) 644,124 (9,677)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 17 -

Figure II-2

Change in Total Workhours, FY 2005–FY 2019

Source: Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2004–FY 2019.

Total workhours increased by approximately 3.5 million during FY 2019.29 In FY 2019, 

workhours increased in Rural Delivery (3.2 percent), Vehicle Maintenance (2.8 percent), 

and Other (1.1 percent) categories.30 Workhours declined in Mail Processing (1.6 percent), 

Customer Service (0.2 percent), City Delivery (0.1 percent), and Plant & Equipment (1.2 

percent).

 

29 Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 26.

30 The “Other” category represents Operations Support, Finance, Human Resources, Administration, Training, and Rehabilitation workhours.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 18 -

Table II-9

Workhours by Function (Thousands of Workhours), FY 2017–FY 2019

Decrease in amounts is denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Library Reference USPS-FY19-7, December 27, 2019; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference USPS-FY18-7, December 28, 2018; Docket 

ACR2017, Responses of the United States Postal Service to Questions 1-19 of Chairman’s Information Request No. 2, January 17, 2018, question 

3, Excel file “ChIR.2.Q.3.LDC.Workhours - FY17.xlsx."

The Postal Service defines productive hourly wage rates as the labor costs per work hour 

by cost segment/craft.31 This metric reflects the effect of wage levels, the composition of 

workers, overtime, pay premiums, and leave usage on hourly labor costs. The productive 

hourly wage rates are shown in Table II-10.32 The productive hourly wage rate for clerks 

decreased by 0.6 percent, compared to the prior year. The productive hourly wage rate for 

city delivery carriers (2.5 percent), rural carriers (3.9 percent), and building equipment 

(7.7 percent) all increased compared to the prior year. From FY 2017 through FY 2019, the 

productive hourly wage rate increased in every category except vehicle drivers.33

 

31 USPS-FY19-17 Preface at 1.

32 The productive hourly wage rate is a measure of total compensation and benefits costs per hour worked. Compensation includes overtime, 

annual, sick, or holiday pay and any other hourly pay premiums.

33 The percent change from FY 2017 through FY 2019 is calculated by adding the percent change from FY 2019 to FY 2018 and the percent 

change from FY 2018 to FY 2017.

% Variance % Variance

FY 2019 FY 2018 FY 2019 over FY 2018 FY 2017 FY 2018 over FY 2017

Mail Processing 194,905 198,029 (1.6%) 202,069 (2.0%)

Customer Service 168,992 169,372 (0.2%) 170,725 (0.8%)

Delivery Service:

 City Delivery 425,894 426,353 (0.1%) 422,811 0.8%

 Rural Delivery 211,505 204,874 3.2% 197,574 3.7%

Maintenance:

 Plant & Equipment 62,525 63,302 (1.2%) 64,477 (1.8%)

 Vehicle 30,822 29,990 2.8% 28,877 3.9%

 Other 78,566 77,697 1.1% 77,345 0.5%

Total Workhours 1,173,208 1,169,617 0.3% 1,163,878 0.5%
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 19 -

Table II-10

Productive Hourly Wage Rates ($ per Workhour), FY 2017–FY 2019

Decrease in amounts is denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

NMF = Not Meaningful Figure

Source: Library Reference USPS-FY19-7, December 28, 2019; Library Reference USPS-FY18-7, December 28, 2018; Docket No. ACR2017, 

Library Reference PRC-ACR2017/1.

Workers’ compensation expenses increased by $3.5 billion in FY 2019. Workers’ 

compensation expenses consist of a cash payment and a non-cash change in long-term 

workers’ compensation liability. The cash payment is made to the United States 

Department of Labor for the current year’s cost of medical and compensation benefits 

payment and an administrative fee. The non-cash change in long-term workers’ 

compensation expense includes 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. These factors 

cause the non-cash portion of workers’ compensation to fluctuate year to year. In FY 2019, 

the non-cash component of long-term workers’ compensation expense increased by $3.5 

billion compared to the prior year. The portion of long-term workers’ compensation 

expense attributable to the impact of discount rate changes resulted in a $3.4 billion 

increase.34 Table II-11 disaggregates components factoring into the workers’ compensation 

expense for the past 2 years.

 

34 Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 36.

% Change % Change

Segment/Subsegment FY 2019 FY 2018 FY 2019 over FY 2018 FY 2017 FY 2018 over FY 2017

Supervisors & Technicians $ 52.78 $ 52.52 0.5% $ 51.54 1.9%

Clerks 40.61 40.87 (0.6%) 39.94 2.3%

Mailhandlers 41.45 41.27 0.5% 40.37 2.2%

City Delivery Carriers 42.34 41.31 2.5% 40.43 2.2%

Vehicle Drivers 45.41 45.67 (0.6%) 45.61 0.1%

Rural Carriers 38.17 36.72 3.9% 36.48 0.7%

Building Services 42.96 43.37 (0.9%) 41.67 4.1%

Operating Equipment 54.36 55.32 (1.7%) 54.24 2.0%

Building Equipment 55.32 51.36 7.7% 50.40 1.9%

Motor Vehicle Service 50.66 49.86 1.6% 48.65 2.5%

Headquarters 71.36 68.07 4.8% 67.72 0.5%
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 20 -

Table II-11

Components of Workers’ Compensation Expense, FY 2019 and FY 2018

($ in Millions)

Decrease in expenses is denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

NMF = Not Meaningful Figure

Source: Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 36.

NON-PERSONNEL EXPENSES

Table II-12 shows transportation costs by category, which is a major component of nonpersonnel-related expenses, and which accounted for 10 percent of total costs. See Table II7.

Table II-12

Transportation Costs by Category, FY 2019 and FY 2018

($ in Millions)

Decrease in expenses is denoted by (). Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 37.

Total transportation expenses increased by 4.1 percent from FY 2018. Highway 

transportation costs increased by 4.6 percent. According to the Postal Service, this increase 

was primarily caused by higher unit costs per mile, resulting in part from a national 

shortage of long-haul truck drivers and higher diesel fuel prices.35 Air transportation costs 

increased by 6.2 percent, primarily due to increased volumes and higher jet fuel prices.36

These expenses are slightly offset by a decline in international transportation (9.0 percent),

which includes only expenses related to outbound mail. This decline resulted from volume 

declines in Priority Mail International and other international service volumes.37

 

35 Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 37.

36 Id.

37 Id.

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance % Variance

Medical and Compensation Claims Payments $ 1,266 $ 1,312 $ (46) (3.5%)

Administrative Fee 8 3 8 1 2 2.5%

Cash Outlays $ 1,349 $ 1,393 $ (44) (3.2%)

(Decrease) Increase in Long-Term Workers' Compensation Obligation 2,155 (1,389) 3,544 NMF

Workers' Compensation Expense $ 3,504 $ 4 $ 3,500 NMF

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance % Variance

Highway Transportation $ 4,517 $ 4,319 $ 198 4.6%

Air Transportation 3,070 2,892 178 6.2%

International Transportation 556 611 (55) (9.0%)

Other Transportation 4 1 3 9 2 5.1%

Total Transportation $ 8,184 $ 7,861 $ 323 4.1%
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 21 -

Table II-13 shows all other non-personnel-related expenses increased by $0.2 billion in FY 

2019. Increases in depreciation, rent and utilities, information technology, rural carrier 

equipment maintenance, and miscellaneous other expenses were partially offset by 

declines in supplies and services, vehicle maintenance, and delivery vehicle fuel. According 

to the Postal Service, the 41.8 percent increase in miscellaneous other expenses is the 

result of the impact of the lower FY 2018 expenses relating to adjustments for contingent 

liabilities for labor and employment matters.38 Miscellaneous other expenses consist 

mainly of travel, training, repairs, and contingency accounts.

Table II-13

Other Non-Personnel Expenses, FY 2019 and FY 2018

($ in Millions)

Decrease in expenses is denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 38.

Comparison of Postal Service Actual Results to Operating Plan

The Postal Service’s FY 2019 Operating Plan, as outlined in its 2019 Integrated Financial 

Plan (IFP), projected a net loss of $6.6 billion in FY 2019.39 The actual total net loss of $8.8 

billion was $2.2 billion more than the Postal Service estimated. Total revenue was $0.8 

billion less than planned. Total operating expenses were $0.8 billion less than planned with 

total retirement accruals unchanged. However, because the $2.2 billion unfavorable change 

in the non-cash workers’ compensation was not included in the plan, the Postal Service’s 

net loss was greater than initially projected. Table II-14 compares actual FY 2019 results 

with the estimated results in the Operating Plan.

 

38 Id.

39 United States Postal Service, Integrated Financial Plan, Fiscal Year 2019, November 20, 2018, at 1 (Postal Service FY 2019 IFP); see also Postal 

Service September 2019 PFI Report.

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance % Variance

Supplies and Services $ 2,819 $ 2,991 $ (172) (5.8%)

Depreciation and Amortization 1,697 1,669 2 8 1.7%

Rent and Utilities 1,714 1,694 2 0 1.2%

Vehicle Maintenance Services 627 629 (2) (0.3%)

Delivery Vehicle Fuel 491 502 (11) (2.2%)

Information Technology and Communications 916 913 3 0.3%

Rural Carrier Equipment Maintenance 588 552 3 6 6.5%

Miscellaneous Other 1,059 747 312 41.8%

Total Other Non-Personnel Expenses $ 9,911 $ 9,697 $ 214 2.2%
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 22 -

Table II-14

Actual and Operating Plan Income Statements, FY 2019

($ in Billions)40

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

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Postal Service September 2019 PFI Report at 1, 3.

As seen in Table II-15, total revenue from Market Dominant mail and Competitive mail 

were both lower than expected. First-Class Mail revenue was $0.2 billion more than 

expected while Periodicals, USPS Marketing Mail, and Other mail were all under plan.41

Revenue from Competitive mail and Other Parcels was $0.1 billion less than what was 

projected. International mail revenue was $0.4 billion less than planned.

 

40 Total revenue includes investment income.

41 Other mail includes Market Dominant Package Services, Special Services, and Other Ancillary Services.

FY 2019 

Actual

FY 2019 

Operating 

Plan $ Variance

Total Revenue $ 71.3 $ 72.1 $ (0.8)

Total Operating Expense 74.5 75.3 (0.8)

Net Operating Income/(Loss) $ (3.2) $ (3.2) $ (0.0)

Non-Cash Change to Workers' Compensation 2.2 0.0 2.2

RHBF Unfunded Liability Amortization 0.8 1.1 (0.3)

FERS Unfunded Liability Amortization 1.1 1.0 0.1

CSRS Unfunded Liability Amortization 1.6 1.4 0.2

Total Net Income/(Loss) $ (8.8) $ (6.7) $ (2.2)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 23 -

Table II-15

Actual and Operating Plan Revenue by Categories Shown in IFP,42 FY 2019

($ in Billions) 43

Decrease in revenue is denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Postal Service September 2019 PFI Report at 2; Postal Service FY 2019 IFP at 4.

Total volume was 1.1 billion pieces less than expected, primarily due to lower than 

expected volume in USPS Marketing Mail. Additionally, Competitive and Other Parcels 

volume was 0.8 billion pieces lower than expected. Table II-16 compares volumes for FY 

2019 with the volume projected in the Operating Plan.

Table II-16

Actual and Operating Plan Volume by Categories Shown in IFP,44 FY 2019

(in Billions)

Decrease is denoted by (). Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Source: Postal Service September 2019 PFI Report at 2; Postal Service FY 2019 IFP at 3.

 

42 The Postal Service FY 2019 IFP isolates volume from International and Parcels from the other categories. See Postal Service FY 2019 IFP at 4.

43 Total mail revenue excludes investment income.

44 The Postal Service FY 2019 IFP isolates revenue from International and Parcels from the other categories. See Postal Service FY 2019 IFP at 4.

First-Class Mail $ 24.4 $ 24.2 $ 0.2

Periodicals 1.2 1.2 (0.0)

USPS Marketing Mail 16.4 16.8 (0.4)

Other 3.7 3.9 (0.2)

Competitive and Other Parcels 23.0 23.1 (0.1)

International 2.5 2.9 (0.4)

Total Mail Revenue $ 71.1 $ 72.1 $ (1.0)

FY 2019 

Operating 

Plan

FY 2019 

Actual $ Variance

FY 2019 

Actual

FY 2019 

Operating Plan Variance

First-Class Mail 54.9 54.3 0.6

Periodicals 4.6 4.7 (0.1)

Marketing Mail 75.7 77.2 (1.5)

Other 0.9 0.3 0.6

Competitive and Other Parcels 5.5 6.3 (0.8)

International 0.9 0.9 (0.0)

Total Mail Volume 142.6 143.7 (1.1)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 24 -

Total expenses were $1.3 billion more than anticipated. Operating expenses were $0.8 

billion lower than expected, offset by higher than expected non-operating expenses of $2.1 

billion. Total expenses were more than expected because the $2.2 billion unfavorable 

change in the non-cash workers’ compensation was not included in the plan. Total 

expenses would be $0.8 billion less than projected with the exclusion of the change in the 

non-cash workers’ compensation. As shown in Table II-17, the compensation and benefits 

expense was $0.2 billion lower than planned, primarily resulting from an adjustment made 

to RHB normal cost actuarial revaluation which was not anticipated in initial projections.45

Total non-personnel expenses were $0.5 billion less than projected, the only positive 

variances being for rent ($0.3 billion), utilities ($0.06 billion), rural carrier equipment 

maintenance ($0.04 billion), and other expenses ($0.3 billion).

Table II-17

Actual and Operating Plan Expenses, FY 2019

($ in Billions)

Decrease in amounts is denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Postal Service September 2019 PFI Report at 3.

 

45 See Postal Service September 2019 PFI Report.

FY 2019 

Actual

FY 2019 

Operating 

Plan $ Variance

Compensation & Benefits $ 56.2 $ 56.4 $ (0.2)

Transportation 8.2 8.2 (0.0)

Supplies & Services 2.8 3.1 (0.3)

Depreciation and Amortiation 1.7 1.7 (0.03)

Rent/Utilities/Other 5.4 5.6 (0.2)

Total Operating Expenses $ 74.3 $ 75.1 $ (0.8)

Workers' Compensation Adj. 2.2 0.0 2.2

RHB Unfunded Amortization 0.8 1.1 (0.3)

FERS Unfunded Amortization 1.1 1.0 0.1

CSRS Unfunded Amortization 1.6 1.4 0.2

Total Expenses $ 79.9 $ 78.5 $ 1.3
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 25 -

Financial Ratio Analysis

Financial ratios are used to interpret accounting information. The Commission calculated 

key financial ratios to facilitate its analysis of the Postal Service’s financial performance 

between FY 2006 and FY 2019. These ratios provide a concise and systematic way to 

organize financial data into meaningful information. The historic accounting information 

used in ratio analysis is not adjusted for inflation.

OPERATING RATIO

The operating ratio measures how well an organization is able to keep operating costs low 

while generating revenue. The Commission measures this by comparing the Postal 

Service’s total revenue with total operating expenses. Figure II-3 shows the operating ratio 

since FY 2006.

Figure II-3

Operating Ratio Trend Since FY 2006

 Source: Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2006–FY 2019.

0.90

0.92

0.94

0.96

0.98

1.00

1.02

1.04

1.06

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Operating Ratio

Fiscal Year
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 26 -

The operating ratio at the end of FY 2019 was 1.04, an increase of 0.01 compared to FY 

2018. An increasing operating ratio indicates a deterioration in the Postal Service’s ability 

to reduce costs while generating revenue. Total operating expenses include total expenses 

minus accruals for certain personnel-related expenses, such as amortization of unfunded 

retirement obligations, mandated retirement prefunding of RHB, and the non-cash 

adjustments to the workers’ compensation that are affected by fluctuations in the discount 

rate. The FY 2019 ratio is at the same level as in FY 2011 and FY 2012 and slightly higher

than the historical 10-year average of 1.01.

RETURN ON ASSETS

The return on assets ratio is a measure of how efficiently an organization uses its assets to 

generate profits. The Postal Service’s return on assets since FY 2006 is shown in Figure II-4.

Figure II-4

Return on Assets Trend Since FY 2006

 Source: Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2006–FY 2019.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 27 -

The Postal Service’s total assets are comprised of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, 

and property, plant, and equipment. At the end of FY 2019, the Postal Service had a 

negative return on assets ratio of 0.34, a decline of 0.20 compared to the end of FY 2018. 

This was the result of the large increase in the Postal Service’s net loss, primarily caused by 

an increase in operating expenses and an unfavorable change to the non-cash workers’ 

compensation expense.

FY 2006 showed a positive ratio. This was during the Postal Reorganization Act regime 

when revenue was required to cover costs (break-even). From FY 2007 through FY 2010, 

the effects of the Great Recession and the annual RHBF payments resulted in operating 

losses. The percentage change in year to year net losses were greater than the percentage 

change in year to year total assets resulting in increasingly negative ratios. The Postal 

Service began using available debt to invest in capital and fund its operations. From FY 

2007 through FY 2010, the Postal Service used $7.8 billion of its $15 billion allowable 

debt.46 The sharp decline in FY 2012 was largely the result of two RHB prefunding 

payments totaling $11.1 billion. The improvement in FY 2014 through FY 2016 was 

primarily the result of revenue generated from the exigent surcharge47 and improving cash 

balances resulting from defaults on annual RHB prefunding payments. The improvement in 

FY 2017 resulted from lower retirement-related health benefit expenses compared to the 

statutory prefunding of the RHBF and a decrease in non-cash workers’ compensation 

expense from higher discount rates.

Analysis of Balance Sheets

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

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

Principles (U.S. GAAP). The analysis compares two points in time, September 30, 2019 (FY 

2019) and September 30, 2018 (FY 2018). Table II-18 compares certain categories in the 

Postal Service’s asset and liability structure for FY 2019 with FY 2018. This analysis is 

derived from the Postal Service’s Balance Sheets.

 

46 Postal Service Form 10-K, Balance Sheet, FY 2007–FY 2010.

47 See Docket No. R2013-11, Order Granting Exigent Price Increase, December 24, 2013 (Order No. 1926).
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 28 -

Table II-18

Structure of Assets and Liabilities, FY 2019 and FY 2018

($ in Millions)

Decrease in amounts is denoted by ().

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Postal Service FY 2018 Form 10-K at 54; PRC derived from September 2019 Postal Service National Trial Balance.

Current assets are the sum of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, and supplies and 

prepayments and can be easily converted to cash for financing operations. Non-current

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

cash in the short term.

Liabilities at the end of FY 2019 totaled $97.2 billion, 68.2 percent of which were current 

liabilities. Current liabilities are obligations that will come due within 1 year, while noncurrent liabilities are long-term financial obligations. Current liabilities consist largely of 

missed payments for statutory RHBF prefunding and amortization of unfunded RHB 

obligations, and defaulted payments for amortization of unfunded CSRS and FERS 

obligations. The Postal Service continued to accrue unpaid retirement expenses, which 

totaled $47.2 billion at the end of FY 2019. This includes accruals for FY 2012 through FY 

2016, when the Postal Service was unable to pay down the obligation along with the 

amortization payments on the RHB unfunded obligation. This obligation is 71.2 percent of 

current liabilities. Long-term liabilities consist mainly of workers’ compensation liability 

($17.2 billion) and the total net debt owed to the Federal Financing Bank ($11 billion).

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance FY 2019 FY 2018

Assets

Cash and Cash Equivalents (includes Restricted Cash) $ 9,161 $ 10,336 $ (1,175) 35.7% 38.7%

Receivables 1,461 1,094 367 5.7% 4.1%

Supplies and Prepayments 178 153 2 5 0.7% 0.6%

 Total Current Assets 10,800 11,583 (783) 42.1% 43.4%

 Non-Current Assets 14,833 15,105 (272) 57.9% 56.6%

Total Assets $ 25,633 $ 26,688 $ (1,055) 100.0% 100.0%

FY 2019 FY 2018 $ Variance FY 2019 FY 2018

Liabilities

Retiree Benefits $ 47,205 $ 42,641 $ 4,564 48.6% 47.7%

Current Portion of Long-Term Debt - 11,000 (11,000) 0.0% 12.3%

Deferred Revenue-Prepaid Postage 2,225 2,066 159 2.3% 2.3%

Other Current Liabilities 16,852 13,763 3,089 17.3% 15.4%

 Total Current Liabilities 66,282 69,470 (3,188) 68.2% 77.8%

Workers' Compensation Costs, Non-Current 17,170 15,026 2,144 17.7% 16.8%

Non-current Portion of Long-Term Debt 11,000 2,200 8,800 11.3% 2.5%

Other Non-Current Liabilities 2,713 2,629 8 4 2.8% 2.9%

 Total Non-Current Liabilities 30,883 19,855 11,028 31.8% 22.2%

Total Liabilities $ 97,165 $ 89,325 $ 7,840 100.0% 100.0%

% of Total Assets

% of Total Liabilities
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 29 -

On the Balance Sheets, net deficiency 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. Net deficiency occurs 

when liabilities are greater than assets.

At the end of FY 2019, the Postal Service recorded a $71.5 billion net deficit consisting of an 

accumulated deficit of $74.7 billion48 offset by capital contributions of $3.1 billion. This is 

primarily the result of several years of net operating losses, starting in FY 2007.

Figure II-5 shows the mix of the Postal Service’s asset and liability structure as of 

September 30, 2019. The shortage of current assets (42 percent of total assets) to cover 

current liabilities (68.2 percent of total liabilities) adversely affects the Postal Service’s 

financial condition. Non-current assets comprise 57.9 percent of total assets, while noncurrent liabilities only comprise 31.8 percent of total liabilities.

Figure II-5

Categories of Assets and Liabilities, FY 2019

Source: Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 52.

Working capital is the difference between current assets and current liabilities. In FY 2019, 

the Postal Service’s working capital was negative $55.5 billion.

 

48 In FY 2018, the Postal Service adopted new accounting standards which slightly modified the beginning balance of net deficiency and current 

liabilities by a net amount of $82 million. Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 59.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 30 -

During FY 2019, total assets decreased by $1.1 billion primarily due to a $1.2 billion 

decrease in the cash balance. The decrease in cash resulted from payments on notes 

payable due to the Federal Financing Bank. However, the issuance of additional long-term 

debt offsets those payments by $1.8 billion. Aging capital assets and the continued 

restrictions on capital investment resulted in depreciation costs in excess of investments.

Total liabilities increased by $7.8 billion mainly due to personnel-related liabilities, such as 

the accrual of the unpaid retirement expenses for FY 2019.

Assets

Aging capital assets and the continued restriction in capital investment resulted in a 

decline in net property, plant, and equipment of $0.3 billion. Depreciation costs of $1.7 

billion offset property and equipment investments of $1.4 billion. Figure II-6 illustrates the 

trend in the Postal Service’s net capital assets since FY 2008. Aging capital assets and the 

continued restrictions on capital investment resulted in depreciation costs in excess of 

investments, which resulted from FY 2009 in a net decrease in fixed assets of $8.3 billion.

Figure II-6

Percent Change in Capital Assets, FY 2008–FY 2019

Source: Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2008–FY 2018.

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

support, and high-return investments.

49 Figure II-7 shows the breakdown of the Postal 

Service assets as of September 30, 2019.

 

49 Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 41.

-8.0%

-7.0%

-6.0%

-5.0%

-4.0%

-3.0%

-2.0%

-1.0%

0.0%

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Percent Change in Capital Assets

Fiscal Year
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 31 -

Figure II-7

Postal Service Asset Structure, September 30, 2019

Source: Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 52; PRC derived from September 2019 Postal Service National Trial 

Balance.

Liabilities

In FY 2019, total liabilities increased by $7.8 billion, largely due to higher balances in 

retirement-related liabilities and the long-term workers’ compensation expense.

The long-term portion of workers’ compensation increased by $2.1 billion in FY 2019. 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, 2019.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 32 -

Figure II-8

Postal Service Liabilities Structure, September 30, 2019

Source: Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 52; PRC derived from September 2019 Postal Service National Trial Balance.

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

liabilities not recognized in the Postal Service’s financial statements. These liabilities are 

controlled and administered by OPM and relate to the assets and liabilities attributed to the 

Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF) and the RHBF.50 The CSRDF provides 

pension benefits to retired and disabled Federal employees, including Postal Service 

employees covered by CSRS and FERS.51

In addition, the 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 reported on the Postal Service Form 10-K 

statements.

Balance Sheet Trend Analysis

To facilitate its analysis, the Commission applies key financial ratios to the Postal Service’s 

Balance Sheet in order to further assess the current and historical financial stability of the 

Postal Service.

DEBT RATIO

Debt ratio is the amount of total liabilities an entity has on its Balance Sheet compared to 

its total assets. The higher the ratio, the greater the risk that the entity’s debt level may 

 

50 See 5 U.S.C. § 8909a.

51 See 5 U.S.C. § 8348.

Other Current Liabilities, 7.0%

Other Long-Term Liabilities, 

12.0%

Current Portion, EmployeeRelated Liabilities, 61.2%

Long-Term Portion, 19.8%

Employee-Related 

Liabilities, 

81%

Total Liabilities Breakdown of

Employee-Related 

Liabilities
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 33 -

impede its ability to effectively respond to challenges and opportunities. Figure II-9 reflects 

the Postal Service’s debt ratio trend since FY 2006.

Figure II-9

Debt Ratio, FY 2006–FY 2019

Source: Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2006–FY 2019.

The ratio is generally a conservative measurement because the liabilities are carried at 

estimated amounts of expected cash outflows. At the same time, some assets may be 

understated because no adjustments have been made to restate for fair value. For example, 

land or a fully depreciated building or equipment may have a higher fair market value than 

its book value. As it pertains to the Postal Service, the debt ratio provides information 

about the increasing amount of the Postal Service’s liabilities relative to its small asset base.

At the end of FY 2019, the debt ratio increased to 3.79 from the 3.35 debt ratio for FY 2018. 

The Postal Service’s FY 2019 debt ratio was also higher than the average 10-year debt ratio 

of 2.68. The increase is the result of higher liabilities, primarily retirement obligations, 

which are increasing more than the growth of total assets. This ratio is indicative of the 

Postal Service’s inability to possess sufficient resources that would allow it the ability to 

invest in capital and pay down its obligations.

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Debt Ratio

Fiscal Year
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 34 -

CURRENT LIABILITY RATIO

The current liability ratio indicates the degree to which current assets meet current 

liabilities. The higher the current ratio, the more likely an entity can pay its current 

liabilities, because it has a larger proportion of current assets relative to its current 

liabilities. Figure II-10 highlights the fluctuations in the current ratio since FY 2006.

Figure II-10

Current Ratio, FY 2006–FY 2019

Source: Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2006–FY 2019.

At the end of FY 2019, the Postal Service had a current ratio of 0.16, a slight decline of 0.01 

from the end of FY 2018. This is slightly lower than the 10-year average of 0.17.

Current liabilities declined by $3.2 billion resulting from a decline in the current portion of 

long-term debt, offset by an increase in retirement-related obligations. The reduction of 

statutory prefunding payments in FY 2009 resulted in a higher current ratio. A 

combination of increasing current liabilities resulting from the retirement-related accruals 

and increasing cash has helped the current ratio remain relatively flat.

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

0.40

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Current Ratio

Fiscal Year
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 35 -

CASH RATIO

The cash ratio compares total liquid assets to its current liabilities. The ratio is used to 

measure an entity’s ability to pay current liabilities with available cash or cash equivalents. 

Figure II-11 illustrates the cash ratio from FY 2006 through FY 2019.

Figure II-11

Cash Ratio, FY 2006–FY 2019

Source: Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2006–FY 2019.

The Postal Service had a cash ratio of 0.14 at the end of FY 2019. This is slightly lower than 

the prior year’s cash ratio of 0.15. The FY 2019 ratio is slightly higher than the 10-year 

average of 0.13. In FY 2008 and FY 2009, the Postal Service’s cash balances increased by 

$533 million and $2.7 billion, respectively, which increased the cash ratio. During FY 2011 

through FY 2018, the Postal Service’s cash balance gradually increased along with its 

current liabilities, resulting in a relatively flat cash ratio.

Analysis of Statements of Cash Flows

At the end of FY 2019, the Postal Service’s cash and cash equivalents total, excluding $0.3 

billion in restricted cash, were $8.8 billion. Cash and cash equivalents excluding restricted 

cash were $1.3 billion lower than at the end of FY 2018. At the end of FY 2019, the Postal 

Service has $4 billion in available borrowing authority, resulting from payments made 

during the fiscal year, which reduced its debt below the PAEA-mandated debt ceiling of $15 

billion. Table II-19 compares the Postal Service’s cash flows from FY 2011 to FY 2019.

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Cash Ratio

Fiscal Year
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 36 -

Table II-19

Postal Service Statements of Cash Flows, FY 2011–FY 2019

($ in Millions)

Numbers may not add across due to rounding.

Source: Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2011–FY 2019.

Table II-20 illustrates the current liquidity position of the Postal Service. The Postal 

Service’s liquidity is limited to cash and cash equivalents (excluding restricted cash) and 

available borrowing authority. During FY 2019, the Postal Service paid down a portion of 

its debt, allowing for $4 billion in available borrowing authority. Its debt includes two 

revolving credit facilities with the Federal Financing Bank, neither of which are fully drawn.

Table II-20

Total Postal Service Liquidity

End of FY 2019 Compared to FY 2018

Source: Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 52.

FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY FY

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Net Income/(Loss) $ (5,067) $(15,906) $ (4,977) $ (5,508) $ (5,060) $ (5,591) $ (2,742) $ (3,913) $ (8,813)

Non-Cash Items and Other Cash Flows 5,561 15,474 5,912 8,822 7,939 8,327 6,565 6,680 11,278

Cash Flows From Investing Activities:

 Decrease (Increase) in Restricted Cash (10) (28) (79) 6 6 1 3 (20) (38) 1 6 (91)

Purchase of Property and Equipment (1,190) (705) (667) (781) (1,222) (1,428) (1,344) (1,409) (1,419)

 Proceeds From Sale of Property and Equipment 137 148 158 129 120 206 5 8 3 2 2 7

Net Cash Used in Investing Activities (1,063) (585) (588) (586) (1,089) (1,242) (1,324) (1,361) (1,483)

Cash Flows From Financing Activities:

 Increase (Decrease) in Debt 1,000 2,000 - - - - - (1,800) 1,800

 Payments for Capital Leases (51) (51) (59) (58) (62) (51) (63) (58) (48)

Net Change in Revolving Credit Line - - - - - - - - (4,000)

 U.S. Government Appropriations - Expensed (63) (129) (48) (90) - - - - -

Net Cash (Used) Provided by Financing Activities 886 1,820 (107) (148) (62) (51) (63) (1,858) (2,248)

Net Increase/(Decrease) in Cash 317 803 240 2,580 1,728 1,443 2,436 (452) (1,266)

Cash Balance Beginning of Year 1,161 1,283 2,086 2,326 4,906 6,634 8,077 10,513 10,061

Cash Balance End of Year $ 1,283 $ 2,086 $ 2,326 $ 4,906 $ 6,634 $ 8,077 $10,513 $10,061 $ 8,795

Debt Outstanding $13,000 $ 15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $13,200 $11,000

FY 2019 FY 2018

Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 8,795 $ 10,061

Current Portion of Debt - 11,000

Long-Term Debt 11,000 2,200

Total Debt $ 11,000 $ 13,200

Statutory Debt Limit 15,000 15,000

Available Debt 4,000 1,800

Total Liquidity (Cash + Available Debt) $ 12,795 $ 11,861
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 37 -

CASH FLOW RATIO ANALYSIS

Cash flow ratios are applied in the Commission’s analysis in order to illustrate the ability of 

the Postal Service to be financially solvent. The asset efficiency ratio, current liability ratio, 

and long-term debt ratio are all helpful indicators of the Postal Service’s current and 

historical ability to pay down debt and remain financially solvent. Figure II-12 shows all 

three ratios and their trends since FY 2006.

Figure II-12

Cash Flow Ratio Trend Analysis FY 2006–FY 2019

Source: Postal Service Form 10-K, FY 2006–FY 2019.

The asset efficiency ratio compares operating cash flows to total assets. It is used to 

measure how efficiently an entity uses its assets to generate cash. At the end of FY 2019, 

the Postal Service had an asset efficiency ratio of 0.10, which is unchanged from the prior 

year. The FY 2019 asset efficiency ratio was 0.02 higher than the historical 10-year average 

of 0.06. The Postal Service had an operating cash loss in FY 2007 and FY 2008 resulting 

from newly required retirement obligations and effects of the Great Recession. In FY 2010, 

the ratio dipped below zero again as a result of both the RHBF prefunding obligation and 

revenue declines negatively impacting cash from operations. The ratio gradually ticked up 

from FY 2012 through FY 2014 as a result of defaulting on RHBF obligations and increases 

in revenue from the exigent surcharge. From FY 2017 through FY 2019, both cash from 

operations and total assets declined slightly resulting in a relatively flat trend. This ratio 
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 38 -

illustrates the Postal Service’s inability to generate sufficient operating cash, using its total 

assets.

The Postal Service had an operating cash flow ratio of 0.04 at the end of FY 2019, which is 

unchanged from the prior year and slightly higher than the historical 10-year average. The 

operating cash flow ratio measures the ability of an entity to generate cash that can be used 

to cover current debt. In FY 2007 and FY 2008, the ratio was below zero resulting from 

negative operating cash flows caused by payments to the RHBF. FY 2012 was the first year 

the Postal Service defaulted on its RHBF payment, which increased cash from operations 

but also increased current liabilities. Since FY 2012, the Postal Service has been unable to 

pay down its unfunded RHB obligation and the cumulative missed payments increase the 

current liability on the balance sheet. The increase in operating cash from these defaulted 

payments was not enough to offset revenue loss from declining volume, resulting in a 

relatively flat increase in operating cash and gradually increasing current liabilities.

The long-term debt ratio compares the Postal Service’s cash from operations to its longterm debt. It illustrates the Postal Service’s ability to pay down long-term debt using cash it 

generates from operations. Long-term debt includes non-current workers’ compensation 

expense and non-current portions of debt owed to the Federal Financing Bank. At the end 

of FY 2019, the Postal Service had a long-term debt ratio of 0.08, down 0.06 from the end of 

FY 2018. This further indicates the Postal Service’s inability to generate sufficient cash to 

use in paying down its total debt.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 39 -

Chapter III. Volume, Revenue, and Cost 

Trends

Overview

This chapter presents an in-depth analysis of volume, revenue, and cost trends in three 

sections. The first section describes the calculation of attributable cost and institutional 

cost. It also examines the overall trends for Market Dominant and Competitive products 

and services. The second and third sections analyze the Market Dominant (organized by 

class) and Competitive products, respectively. These sections provide comparisons of 

volume, revenue, and cost between FY 2018 and FY 2019;52 trend analyses that highlight 

changes in volume, revenue, and cost that have occurred over the last 10 years; and 

analyses by cost segment.

Overall Volume, Revenue, and Cost Trends

Attributable and Institutional Cost Calculation

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 determined that attributable 

costs include volume-variable costs,53 which, in the aggregate, increase as volume increases 

and decrease as volume decreases; product-specific fixed costs, which are costs caused by a 

specific product or class but do not vary with volume; and inframarginal costs developed as 

part of the estimation of incremental costs.54 Attributable costs are equal to incremental 

costs, which reflect the total marginal costs of the volume in a class or product.55

The Commission intends to provide insight into the cost of the activities performed in 

handling mailpieces and analyze changes in cost for certain cost segments. Attributable 

 

52 FY 2018 volume, revenue, and cost data that are not depicted in tables in this section can be found in the corresponding section of the FY 

2018 Financial Report.

53 Total volume-variable cost is calculated by multiplying total cost by the volume variability ratio for each cost segment.

54 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).

55 Incremental costs are sub-additive, meaning that the sum of the attributable costs of all products in a class is not equal to the attributable 

cost of the class as a whole. The Postal Service generally exhibits declining marginal costs. As a result, the incremental cost of a class includes 

additional inframarginal costs that are not included in the incremental cost of the individual products within the class. For this reason, product 

attributable costs do not add to total attributable cost in Tables III-20, III-23, and III-25.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 40 -

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

driver.56 These costs are piggybacked to include the indirect costs of each activity.

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

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

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

not causally related to an individual product or class. Institutional cost includes costs for 

carrier network travel time, amortization of RHB unfunded liability, amortization of CSRS 

unfunded liability apportioned to prior years, and various administrative costs.

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 

2018 and FY 2019.

Table III-1

Market Dominant Volume, Revenue, and Cost, FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values are denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Total Market Dominant revenue decreased by 1.6 percent in FY 2019, due to a decrease in 

Market Dominant volume. On a unit basis, revenue remained unchanged since FY 2017 at 

$0.33 per piece.

Total attributable cost for Market Dominant products increased by 1.6 percent from FY 

2018. The average unit attributable cost increased from $0.20 per piece in FY 2018 to $0.21 

in FY 2019.

Total Market Dominant contribution to institutional cost decreased by $1.2 billion or 6.6 

percent in FY 2019, as Market Dominant volume decreased by 3.8 billion pieces or 2.7 

percent.

Market Dominant products accounted for 96.0 percent of total mail volume, a drop of 0.1 

percentage points from FY 2018. Revenue from these products as a percentage of total 

revenue from mail and services decreased from 65.8 percent to 64.2 percent. Market 

 

56 The Postal Service assigns these costs to each product according to methodologies approved by the Commission. Changes to those 

methodologies are reviewed by the Commission in informal rulemaking proceedings, and members of the general public are given the 

opportunity to comment in such proceedings.

 FY 2019 FY 2018 Variance

Volume (Millions) 136,897 140,738 -2.7%

Revenue ($ Millions) 45,695 46,432 -1.6%

Attributable Cost ($ Millions) 28,891 28,437 1.6%

Contribution to Institutional Cost ($ Millions) 16,804 17,995 -6.6%
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 41 -

Dominant attributable cost as a percentage of total attributable cost decreased from 64.7 

percent in FY 2018 to 64.3 percent in FY 2019.

Several Market Dominant products failed to generate sufficient revenue to cover 

attributable cost, resulting in negative contribution for these products. The total negative 

contribution to institutional cost from these products amounted to $1.7 billion in FY 2019; 

in FY 2018, negative contribution was 1.6 billion. Six domestic mail products failed to cover 

their attributable cost: USPS Marketing Mail Flats ($744.3 million), USPS Marketing Carrier 

Route ($1.4 million), USPS Marketing Mail Parcels ($36.6 million), Periodicals Outside 

County ($630.8 million), Periodicals In-County ($40.1 million), and Package Services Media 

Mail/Library Mail ($113.0 million). In addition, Inbound Letter Post had a negative 

contribution in FY 2019.

Market Dominant Volume Trends

Figure III-1 shows the total volume for Market Dominant products over the last 10 years. 

Over the last decade, volume for Market Dominant products has declined by 38.8 billion 

pieces.

Figure III-1

Market Dominant Volume, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Docket No. ACR2017, PRC-LRACR2017/1; Docket No. ACR2016, PRC-LR-ACR2016/1, March 28, 2017; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LRACR2015/1, March 28, 2016; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1, March 27, 2015; Docket No. 

ACR2007, Annual Compliance Determination, March 27, 2008 (FY 2007 ACD); Docket No. ACR2008, Annual Compliance 

Determination, March 30, 2009 (FY 2008 ACD); Docket No. ACR2009, Annual Compliance Determination, March 29, 2010 

(FY 2009 ACD); Docket No. ACR2010, Annual Compliance Determination, March 29, 2011 (FY 2010 ACD); Docket No. 

ACR2011, Annual Compliance Determination, March 28, 2012 (FY 2011 ACD); Docket No. ACR2012, Annual Compliance 

Determination, March 28, 2013 (FY 2012 ACD); Docket No. ACR2013, Annual Compliance Determination, March 27, 2014 

(FY 2013 ACD); Docket No. ACR2014, Annual Compliance Determination, March 27, 2015 (FY 2014 ACD).
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 42 -

In FY 2019, First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail accounted for 95.9 percent of total 

Market Dominant volume. First-Class Mail volume has declined by 28.8 billion pieces over 

the last decade, representing a 34.4 percent loss in volume. USPS Marketing Mail volume 

has also declined considerably, by 6.8 billion pieces over the last decade.

Market Dominant Revenue and Cost Trends

Total Market Dominant revenue and attributable cost have also declined since FY 2010. 

Total revenue declined by 16.5 percent while total attributable cost declined by 12.8 

percent. Figure III-2 compares revenue and attributable cost since FY 2010.

Figure III-2

Market Dominant Revenue and Attributable Cost, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2010–FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRCLR-ACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2017/1; 

Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 43 -

Competitive Products and Services

In FY 2019, although volume for Competitive products remained nearly unchanged, 

revenue for Competitive products increased. Table III-2 compares the total volume, 

revenue, and cost of these products and services between FY 2018 and FY 2019.

Table III-2

Competitive Volume, Revenue, and Cost, FY 2019 and FY 2018

 Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1;

 Library Reference USPS-FY18-42.

Volume grew 0.2 percent in FY 2019 compared with 11.0 percent in FY 2018.

57 In FY 2019, 

both revenue and unit revenue increased. Revenue increased by 5.0 percent or $1.1 billion, 

while unit revenue increased by 4.8 percent. Similarly, attributable cost increased by 3.2 

percent in FY 2019, while unit attributable cost increased by 3.0 percent. Contribution to 

institutional cost also increased, both in the aggregate and on a unit basis. In FY 2019, 

contribution to institutional cost increased by 8.6 percent, and by 8.4 percent on a unit 

basis.

As shown in Figure III-3, the Competitive products’ share of total Postal Service revenue 

and attributable cost has increased nearly threefold since FY 2010. Competitive products’ 

share of contribution to institutional cost has also steadily increased from just 7.1 percent 

in FY 2010 to 33.0 percent in FY 2019.

 

57 About a third of the 11 percent increase in FY 2018 was due to the transfer of the First-Class Mail Parcels product from the Market Dominant 

product list to the Competitive product list.

FY 2019 FY 2018 Variance

Volume (Millions) 5,672 5,663 0.2%

Revenue ($ Millions) 24,207 23,059 5.0%

Attributable Cost ($ Millions) 15,960 15,466 3.2%

Contribution to Institutional Cost ($ Millions) 8,247 7,593 8.6%
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 44 -

Figure III-3

Competitive Percent Share of Total Postal Service Revenue, Cost,

and Contribution to Institutional Cost, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: Docket No. ACR2010, Library Reference USPS-FY10-1, December 29, 2010; Docket No. ACR2011, Library Reference 

USPS-FY11-1, December 29, 2011; Docket No. ACR2012, Library Reference USPS-FY12-1, December 28, 2012; Docket No. 

ACR2013, Library Reference USPS-FY13-1, December 27, 2013; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference USPS-FY14-1, 

December 29, 2014; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference USPS-FY15-1, December 29, 2015; Docket No. ACR2016, 

Library Reference USPS-FY16-1, December 29, 2016; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference USPS-FY17-1, December 29, 

2017; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference USPS-FY18-1, December 28, 2018; Library Reference USPS-FY19-1, December 

27, 2019 (collectively, Postal Service CRA Report, FY 2010–FY 2019).

Figure III-4 illustrates the changes in average unit revenue and cost from FY 2010 to FY 

2019. For FY 2019, Competitive products are required to collectively cover 8.8 percent of 

the Postal Service’s institutional cost.58 The minimum required contribution is shown in 

Figure III-4 as an average cents per piece. Since FY 2010, average unit revenue for 

Competitive products and services exceeded the combined average unit attributable cost 

and required contribution per piece.

 

58 39 C.F.R. § 3035.7(c).
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 45 -

Figure III-4

Competitive Average Unit Revenue and Cost, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: Postal Service CRA Report, FY 2010–FY 2019.

Through FY 2019, total contribution to institutional cost from Competitive products 

continued to exceed the required contribution to institutional cost.59 As shown in Figure 

III-5, although the contribution of Competitive products has increased significantly in 

recent years, in FY 2019 the share of institutional cost contributed by Competitive products 

dropped for the first time since FY 2012.

 

59 See Docket No. RM2017-1, Order Adopting Final Rules Relating to the Institutional Cost Contribution Requirement for Competitive Products, 

January 3, 2019 (Order No. 4963). On April 14, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia remanded Order No. 4963 

to the Commission for further explanation. United Parcel Serv. v. Postal Regulatory Comm’n, No. 19-1026 (D.C. Cir. Apr. 14, 2020). Order No. 

4963 prescribed the formula for determining the appropriate share. Docket No. RM2017-1, Order Adopting Final Rules Relating to the 

Institutional Cost Contribution Requirement for Competitive Products, January 3, 2019 (Order No. 4963). The Commission is reviewing the 

court’s decision to determine its next actions with respect to this issue.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 46 -

Figure III-5

Competitive Contribution to Institutional Cost, FY 2007–FY 2019

Source: FY 2007–FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference 

PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LRACR2017/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.

Market Dominant Volume, Revenue, and Cost 

Trends by Class

First-Class Mail

Five products are assigned to First-Class Mail: Single-Piece Letters/Postcards; Presorted 

Letters/Postcards; Flats; Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International; and 

Inbound Letter Post. For comparison purposes in this report, the products are grouped into 

letters, flats, and “all other.”60

FIRST-CLASS MAIL LETTERS COMPARED WITH FY 2018

Table III-3 summarizes the FY 2019 change in total volume and revenue for First-Class Mail 

letters. First-Class Mail letters volume continued to decline in FY 2019, although the rate of 

decline appears to be slowing. For single-piece letters, the rate of decline was 5.2 percent in 

FY 2019 compared to 5.6 percent in FY 2018 and 5.7 percent in FY 2017. Presorted letters 

volume decreased 1.6 percent in FY 2019, compared to 2.4 percent in FY 2018.

 

60 “All other” includes single-piece and presorted postcards, Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International, Inbound Letter Post, and 

Inbound International negotiated service agreements (NSAs).
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 47 -

Revenue for First-Class Mail letters decreased by 1.0 percent in FY 2019, due to loss of 

volume. Unit revenue increased slightly from 42 cents per piece in FY 2018 to 43 cents in 

FY 2019. Single-piece letters volume declined more than presorted letters volume, 

resulting in a larger decrease in total revenue for single-piece letters than presorted letters, 

1.6 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.

Table III-3

First-Class Mail Letters Volume and Revenue, FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Table III-4 summarizes the FY 2019 change in total attributable cost for First-Class Mail 

letters. Total attributable cost for First-Class Mail letters increased by $277 million from FY 

2018, despite a decrease in volume. Consequently, average unit attributable cost increased 

5.8 percent. On a unit basis, attributable cost for both single-piece letters and presorted 

letters increased in FY 2019, 6.6 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively. However, the larger 

loss of volume for single-piece letters caused single-piece letters total attributable cost to 

increase more moderately than the total attributable cost for presorted letters, 1.1 percent 

and 5.0 percent, respectively. These changes are discussed in further detail in the following 

section.

Table III-4

First-Class Mail Letters Attributable Cost and Average Unit Attributable Cost,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Single-Piece 15,954 16,830 (876) -5.2% 8,347 8,480 (133) -1.6%

Presorted 35,207 35,796 (589) -1.6% 13,725 13,812 (87) -0.6%

Total Letters 51,161 52,626 (1,465) -2.8% 22,071 22,292 (221) -1.0%

(Millions) ($ in Millions)

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Single-Piece 5,273 5,217 5 6 1.1% 33.0 31.0 2.1 6.6%

Presorted 4,678 4,456 222 5.0% 13.3 12.4 0.8 6.7%

Total Letters 9,951 9,673 277 2.9% 19.4 18.4 1.1 5.8%

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 48 -

TRENDS IN FIRST-CLASS MAIL LETTERS

Customer “migration toward electronic communication and transaction alternatives” 

continues to erode First-Class Mail letters volume.61 Figure III-6 illustrates the rate of 

decline for First-Class Mail letters volume. In FY 2019, the rate of decline for single-piece 

letters decreased for the second year in a row, however, the rates of decline for the last 3 

years exceed those of the previous 3 years.

Over the last decade, volume of First-Class Mail presorted letters has decreased every year. 

The rate of decline for First-Class Mail presorted letters volume decreased to 1.6 percent in 

FY 2019 from 2.4 percent in FY 2018; however, it is still relatively high compared with FY 

2015 and FY 2016.

Figure III-6

First-Class Mail Letters Percent Change in Volume, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: Docket No. ACR2010, Library Reference USPS-FY10-42, January 24, 2011; Docket No. ACR2011, Library 

Reference USPS-FY11-42, December 29, 2011; Docket No. ACR2012, Library Reference USPS-FY12-42, December 

28, 2012; Docket No. ACR2013, Library Reference USPS-FY13-42, December 27, 2013; Postal Service RPW 

Report, FY 2014–FY 2019 (collectively, Postal Service RPW Report, FY 2010–FY 2019).

Figure III-7 shows the change in the average unit attributable cost for First-Class Mail 

letters. The average unit attributable cost of First-Class Mail single-piece letters has 

increased each year for the last 4 years.

The average unit attributable cost for First-Class Mail presorted letters increased for the 

third year in a row. Additionally, the rate of increase appears to be growing. Unit 

attributable cost for First-Class Mail presorted letters increased 2.9 percent in FY 2017, 

 

61 Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 20.

-12.0%

-10.0%

-8.0%

-6.0%

-4.0%

-2.0%

0.0%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Percent Change

Fiscal Year

Single-Piece Presorted
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 49 -

increased 3.6 percent in FY 2018, and increased 6.7 percent in FY 2019. The FY 2019 

increase is the largest over the last decade.

Figure III-7

First-Class Mail Letters Percent Change in Average Unit Attributable Cost,

FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2009–FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LRACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2017/1; Docket 

No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.

Table III-5 compares the average unit attributable cost for presorted letters, by cost 

segment, for FY 2014 through FY 2019. This unit attributable cost includes all of the 

indirect cost that is piggybacked to the direct cost.62 Mail processing and city carrier inoffice unit costs for presorted letters increased in FY 2019, by 4.4 percent and 5.1 percent, 

respectively. Both of these segments represent mail processing activities, as carrier inoffice cost is largely comprised of time spent sorting mail for delivery. The average unit 

attributable cost for the city carrier street cost segment increased 3.7 percent from FY 

2018. As Table II-5 also shows, rural carrier unit cost and transportation unit cost 

remained nearly unchanged from FY 2018.

 

62 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 Library Reference USPS-FY19-24. The unit attributable cost by cost segment presented in this report 

are “piggybacked” costs, unless stated otherwise.

-8.0%

-6.0%

-4.0%

-2.0%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Percent Change

Fiscal Year

Single-Piece Presorted
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 50 -

Table III-5

First-Class Mail Presorted Letters Average Unit Attributable Cost by Segment, 

FY 2014–FY 2019

Source: Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference USPS-FY18-2, December 28, 2018; 

Docket No. ACR2019, Library Reference USPS-FY19-2, December 27, 2019 

(collectively, Postal Service CSC Report, FY 2018, FY 2019).

FIRST-CLASS MAIL FLATS COMPARED WITH FY 2018

Table III-6 shows the total volume and revenue for First-Class Mail Flats. First-Class Mail 

single-piece flats volume declined 10.4 percent in FY 2019 compared to a 4.4 percent 

decline in FY 2018. First-Class Mail presorted flats volume declined just 0.1 percent in FY 

2019, after a 4.8 percent decrease in FY 2018.

Total revenue for First-Class Mail Flats also declined compared with FY 2018. The decrease 

in FY 2019 far exceeds the decrease in FY 2018, 13.7 percent versus 3.9 percent.

Table III-6

First-Class Mail Flats Volume and Revenue, FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Table III-7 summarizes the FY 2019 change in attributable cost. Total attributable cost for 

First-Class Mail Flats decreased by 2.6 percent. However, on a unit basis, costs increased by 

4.1 percent. The average unit attributable cost for single-piece flats and presorted flats 

increased by 4.8 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively.

FY 2019 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2018

Mail Processing 5.75 5.51 4.4% 4.8%

City Carrier In-Office 1.65 1.57 5.1% 8.3%

City Carrrier Street 2.54 2.45 3.7% 5.6%

Rural Carriers 0.91 0.91 0.0% 2.2%

Transportation 1.43 1.42 0.7% 4.4%

All Other 0.67 0.59 13.6% 3.5%

Cost Segment

Unit Attributable 

Cost Cents per Piece

Change in Unit 

Attributable Cost 

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Single-Piece 741 827 (86) -10.4% 1,144 1,365 (221) -16.2%

Presorted 555 555 (0) -0.1% 509 549 (41) -7.4%

Total Flats 1,295 1,382 (87) -6.3% 1,652 1,914 (262) -13.7%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 51 -

Table III-7

First-Class Mail Flats Attributable Cost and Average Unit Attributable Cost,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

TRENDS IN FIRST-CLASS MAIL FLATS

First-Class Mail Flats volume has been declining for years. Figure III-8 compares the 

percent change in First-Class Mail Flats volume from FY 2010 to FY 2019. Over the last 10 

years, volume decreased by 54.8.percent Single-piece flats volume continues on a 

downward trend. Although both presorted flats and single-piece flats lost volume since FY 

2009, most of the First-Class Mail Flats volume loss occurred in First-Class Mail singlepiece flats. Over that period, single-piece flats have decreased 65.5 percent, compared to a 

22.5 percent volume decrease for presorted flats. As Figure III-8 shows, since that time, 

presorted flats volume decreased annually, with the loss of 0.1 percent in FY 2019 being 

the smallest decrease since FY 2015.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Single-Piece 1,015 1,081 (66) -6.1% 137.1 130.7 6.3 4.8%

Presorted 498 473 2 5 5.2% 89.8 85.3 4.5 5.3%

Total Flats 1,513 1,554 (41) -2.6% 117.0 112.5 4.6 4.1%

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 52 -

Figure III-8

Percent Change in First-Class Mail Flats Volume, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: Postal Service RPW Report, FY 2010–FY 2019.

Figure III-9 compares the average unit attributable cost for First-Class Mail single-piece 

and presorted flats since FY 2010. The average unit attributable cost for First-Class Mail 

single-piece flats has increased every year since FY 2014. However, the FY 2019 and FY 

2018 increases are relatively small, compared with the increases over the previous few 

years. For First-Class Mail presorted flats, the percent increase in average unit attributable 

cost was the lowest since FY 2013. The changes for FY 2016 are atypical because in FY 

2016, the Postal Service corrected an In-Office Cost System (IOCS) coding error that shifted 

costs from First-Class Mail presorted flats to First-Class Mail single-piece flats.

-18.0%

-16.0%

-14.0%

-12.0%

-10.0%

-8.0%

-6.0%

-4.0%

-2.0%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Percent Change

Fiscal Year

Single-Piece Presorted
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 53 -

Figure III-9

First-Class Mail Flats Average Unit Attributable Cost, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2010–FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, 

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

ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2017/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; 

Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.

Table III-8 compares the average unit attributable cost by cost segment of First-Class Mail 

single-piece and presorted flats for FY 2018 and FY 2019.

For all cost segments except rural carrier, in FY 2019, average unit attributable cost for 

First-Class Mail single-piece flats exceeded the average unit attributable cost for First-Class 

Mail presorted flats. Compared to FY 2018, the average unit attributable cost for both FirstClass Mail single-piece flats and First-Class Mail presorted flats increased in all cost 

segments except city carrier in-office and all other.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Cents per Piece

Fiscal Year

 Single-Piece Presorted
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 54 -

Table III-8

First-Class Mail Flats Average Unit Attributable Cost by Segment,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: PRC derived from Postal Service CSC Report, FY 2018 and FY 2019.

OTHER FIRST-CLASS MAIL COMPARED WITH FY 2018

Table III-9 shows the volume and revenue for “all other” First-Class Mail. The volume of 

Cards, Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International, and Inbound International 

NSAs each decreased in FY 2019. Only Inbound Letter Post volume increased, likely due to 

volume shifting to this product from Inbound International NSAs when bilateral 

agreements with foreign postal administrations expired and were not replaced.

Similar to volume, revenue decreased for Cards, Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail 

International, and Inbound International NSAs compared with FY 2018, while Inbound 

Letter Post revenue increased significantly. For Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail 

International, the loss in revenue in FY 2019 represents less than half the revenue loss in 

FY 2018. Conversely, cards revenue decreased more significantly in FY 2019 than in FY 

2018, 7.7 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.

Table III-9

All Other First-Class Mail Volume and Revenue, FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Single-Piece Presorted Diff. Single-Piece Presorted Diff.

Mail Processing 75.4 47.5 27.9 76.0 51.4 24.6

City Carrier In-Office 13.9 14.6 (0.7) 14.3 13.2 1.1

City Carrrier Street 8.1 4.4 3.7 8.7 4.7 4.0

Rural Carriers 3.1 3.3 (0.2) 3.5 3.5 0.0

Transportation 19.0 12.1 6.9 23.8 13.6 10.2

All Other 11.3 2.7 8.6 10.8 1.3 9.5

Total 130.7 84.8 45.9 137.1 87.7 49.4

Cost Segment

FY 2018 FY 2019

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Total Cards 2,487 2,706 (219) -8.1% 711 770 (59) -7.7%

Outbound Single-Piece First Class Mail International 126 132 (6) -4.5% 184 198 (14) -6.9%

Inbound Letter Post 560 444 116 26.2% 598 422 176 41.7%

Inbound International NSAs 3 178 (176) -98.5% 245 420 (175) -41.6%

Total Other First-Class Mail 3,176 3,460 (284) -8.2% 1,738 1,810 (71) -3.9%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 55 -

Table III-10 presents the changes in total attributable cost and average unit attributable 

cost for “all other” First-Class Mail between FY 2018 and FY 2019. On a unit basis, only the 

attributable cost of Outbound Single-Piece First-Class Mail International decreased in FY 

2019. First-Class Mail cards and Inbound Letter Post increased 10.6 percent and 19.9 

percent, respectively. For the inbound international products, the change in unit 

attributable cost reflects the movement of NSA volume to the Inbound First-Class Mail 

International product.

Table III-10

Other First-Class Mail Attributable Cost and Average Unit Attributable Cost,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

USPS Marketing Mail

USPS Marketing 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 (EDDM-R). For comparison purposes, the products have been 

grouped into letters and flats.

USPS MARKETING MAIL LETTERS COMPARED WITH FY 2018

Table III-11 summarizes the FY 2019 change in volume and revenue of letter-shaped USPS 

Marketing Mail. Although High Density and Saturation Letters volume decreased slightly, 

revenue increased in FY 2019. Similarly, for USPS Marketing Mail Letters volume decreased 

and revenue increased slightly in FY 2019, reflecting increases in prices.

63

 

63 See Docket No. R2019-1, United States Postal Service Notice of Market Dominant Price Change, October 10, 2018.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Total Cards 360 354 6 1.7% 14.5 13.1 1.4 10.6%

Outbound Single-Piece First Class Mail International 127 139 (13) -9.2% 100.4 105.7 (5.2) -4.9%

Inbound Letter Post 762 504 258 51.3% 136.0 113.4 22.6 19.9%

Inbound International NSAs 379 258 121 47.0% 1,453.9 144.8 1,309.1 904.0%

Total Other First-Class Mail 1,628 1,256 373 29.7% 51.3 36.3 15.0 41.3%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 56 -

Table III-11

USPS Marketing Mail Letters Volume and Revenue, FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Table III-12 summarizes the FY 2019 change in attributable cost for USPS Marketing Mail 

letters. Attributable cost for both the Letters and the High Density and Saturation Letters 

products increased in the aggregate and on a unit basis. The attributable cost for USPS 

Marketing Mail Letters increased 3.3 percent in FY 2019. High Density and Saturation 

Letters increased by 4.6 percent. However, High Density and Saturation Letters is a 

relatively lower volume product compared with Letters. Therefore, the increase in total 

attributable cost for all letter shaped USPS Marketing Mail was 3.4 percent, driven 

primarily by the increase in the attributable cost of Letters.

Table III-12

USPS Marketing Mail Letters Attributable Cost and Average Unit Attributable Cost,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Letters 45,966 46,517 (551) -1.2% 9,735 9,678 5 7 0.6%

High Density and Saturation Letters 7,254 7,265 (12) -0.2% 1,199 1,157 4 2 3.6%

 Total Letters 53,220 53,782 (563) -1.0% 10,934 10,835 9 9 0.9%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions) Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Letters 5,124 4,963 161 3.3% 11.1 10.7 0.5 4.5%

High Density and Saturation Letters 586 560 2 6 4.6% 8.1 7.7 0.4 4.8%

 Total Letters 5,710 5,523 187 3.4% 10.7 10.3 0.5 4.5%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 57 -

TRENDS IN USPS MARKETING MAIL LETTERS

As shown in Figure III-10, changes in USPS Marketing Mail letters volume have been more 

moderate in recent years. High Density and Saturation Letters volume increased every year 

since FY 2012 except in FY 2019. Annual changes in USPS Marketing Mail Letters volume 

have been relatively small since FY 2013, with volume decreasing for the past 3 years.

Figure III-10

Percent Change in USPS Marketing Mail Letters Volume, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2010–FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference 

PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LRACR2017/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.

Figure III-11 shows the average unit attributable cost for USPS Marketing Mail letters since 

FY 2010. Average unit attributable cost for both High Density and Saturation Letters and 

USPS Marketing Mail Letters have grown in recent years. The average unit attributable cost 

for USPS Marketing Mail Letters increased for the last 3 years, while High Density and 

Saturation Letters unit attributable cost has been on the rise since FY 2014.

-8.0%

-6.0%

-4.0%

-2.0%

0.0%

2.0%

4.0%

6.0%

8.0%

10.0%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Percent Change

Fiscal Year

High Density and Saturation Letters Letters
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 58 -

Figure III-11

USPS Marketing Mail Letters Average Unit Attributable Cost, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2010–FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference 

PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LRACR2017/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.

USPS MARKETING MAIL FLATS COMPARED WITH FY 2018

Table III-13 summarizes the FY 2019 changes in volume and revenue for flat-shaped USPS 

Marketing Mail.64 Volume for all flat-shaped USPS Marketing Mail declined in FY 2019. 

Carrier Route flats experienced the largest decline (10.1 percent) decrease in FY 2019. 

USPS Marketing Mail Flats and EDDM-R also experienced significant decreases, 6.4 percent 

and 8.9 percent, respectively. High Density and Saturation Flats/Parcels remained nearly 

unchanged in FY 2019.

Revenue for flat-shaped USPS Marketing Mail declined 4.4 percent in FY 2019. The large 

decrease in Carrier Route volume resulted in a 10.1 percent decrease in revenue in FY 

2019. Flats and EDDM-R revenue also declined, reflecting the loss of FY 2019 volume. 

However, High Density and Saturation Flats/Parcels revenue increased 1.6 percent in FY 

2019 primarily due to higher prices.

 

64 Some products include parcels; however, those products contain predominantly flat-shaped mailpieces.

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Cents per Piece

Fiscal Year

High Density and Saturation Letters Letters
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 59 -

Table III-13

USPS Marketing Mail Flat Volume and Revenue, FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Table III-14 summarizes the FY 2019 change in USPS Marketing Mail flats attributable cost. 

Total attributable cost for flat-shaped USPS Marketing Mail decreased 0.8 percent in FY 

2019. Attributable cost decreased for all flat-shaped USPS Marketing Mail products except 

High Density and Saturation Flats/Parcels. On a unit basis, all flat-shaped USPS Marketing 

Mail products experienced an increase in FY 2019.

Table III-14

USPS Marketing Mail Flats Attributable Cost and Average Unit Attributable Cost,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

TRENDS IN USPS MARKETING MAIL FLATS

Total volume for flat-shaped USPS Marketing Mail has declined 31.3 percent since FY 2009.

As shown in Figure III-12, since FY 2012, volume changes for High Density and Saturation 

Flats/Parcels remained relatively small. Although both Flats and Carrier Route volumes 

continued their downward trends in FY 2019, the decrease in Carrier Route is particularly 

large.65

 

65 Large volume changes in FY 2016 and FY 2017 were due in large part to changes to the pricing structure of the Flats and Carrier Route 

products. See Docket No. ACR2017, Financial Analysis of United States Postal Service Financial Results and 10-K Statement, April 5, 2018, at 53-

54.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

High Density and Saturation Flats/Parcels 11,607 11,621 (14) -0.1% 2,071 2,039 3 3 1.6%

Carrier Route 6,359 7,074 (715) -10.1% 1,672 1,860 (188) -10.1%

Flats 3,818 4,079 (261) -6.4% 1,562 1,651 (89) -5.4%

Every Door Direct Mail ̶ Retail 649 713 (63) -8.9% 120 127 (7) -5.6%

Total 22,433 23,486 (1,053) -4.5% 5,425 5,677 (252) -4.4%

(Millions) ($ in Millions)

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

High Density and Saturation 

Flats/Parcels 1,499 1,404 9 5 6.7% 12.9 12.1 0.8 6.9%

Carrier Route 1,673 1,712 (39) -2.3% 26.3 24.2 2.1 8.7%

Flats 2,307 2,403 (96) -4.0% 60.4 58.9 1.5 2.5%

Every Door Direct Mail ̶ Retail 4 6 4 7 (1) -2.7% 7.1 6.7 0.4 6.8%

Total 5,525 5,567 (42) -0.8% 24.6 23.7 0.9 3.9%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 60 -

Figure III-12

USPS Marketing Mail Flats Percent Change in Volume, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2009–FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRCLR-ACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2017/1; 

Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.

The average unit attributable cost of each flat-shaped USPS Marketing Mail product has 

increased significantly over the last decade. The annual changes in average unit 

attributable cost are illustrated in Figure III-13. With the exception of EDDM-R, increases in 

unit attributable cost were more modest in FY 2019 than in FY 2018. Over the last decade, 

average unit attributable cost increased nearly every year for flat-shaped USPS Marketing 

Mail products.

-30.0%

-25.0%

-20.0%

-15.0%

-10.0%

-5.0%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Percent Change

Fiscal Year

High Density and Saturation Flats Carrier Route EDDM – R
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 61 -

Figure III-13

USPS Marketing Mail Flats Percent Change in Average Unit Attributable Cost,

FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2009–FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LRACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2017/1; Docket 

No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.

Table III-15 compares the change in the average unit attributable cost between FY 2018 

and FY 2019. With the exception of USPS Marketing Mail Flats city carrier in-office unit 

cost, unit costs increased for all USPS Marketing Mail flats products.

-10.0%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Percent Change

Fiscal Year

High Density and Saturation Carrier Route Flats EDDM – R
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 62 -

Table III-15

Change in USPS Marketing Mail Flats Average Unit Attributable Cost by Cost Segment,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

 Source: PRC derived from Library Reference USPS-FY19-24, December 27, 2019; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference USPS-FY18-24, 

 December 28, 2018.

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 2018

Table III-16 summarizes the FY 2019 changes in volume and revenue for Periodicals. In FY 

2019, Periodicals volume declined by 359 million pieces, or 7.2 percent, with most of the 

decrease occurring in Outside County publications. In FY 2019, Outside County volume 

decreased 7.8 percent compared to a 2.2 percent decrease for In-County volume. Total 

revenue for Periodicals declined 6.5 percent in FY 2019. The decline in total revenue is due 

to the loss of volume, as unit revenue increased slightly for both Outside County and InCounty Periodicals.

High Density and 

Saturation Carrier Route Flats

Every Door 

Direct Mail-Retail

Mail Processing

FY 2019 1.7906 8.4318 32.7557 0.2137

FY 2018 1.5165 7.4566 31.0590 0.1096

% Change 18.1% 13.1% 5.5% 94.9%

City Carrier In-Office

FY 2019 1.4086 6.5614 12.5872 1.3441

FY 2018 1.3993 6.4537 13.3815 1.3360

% Change 0.7% 1.7% -5.9% 0.6%

City Carrier Street

FY 2019 5.4544 5.5262 4.8294 4.5456

FY 2018 5.1971 4.9641 4.7222 4.3192

% Change 5.0% 11.3% 2.3% 5.2%

Rural Carriers

FY 2019 3.6605 4.1299 3.9017 0.5598

FY 2018 3.3270 3.7054 3.5460 0.5251

% Change 10.0% 11.5% 10.0% 6.6%
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 63 -

Table III-16

Periodicals Volume and Revenue, FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Table III-17 compares total attributable cost and average unit attributable cost for 

Periodicals for FY 2018 and FY 2019. Total Periodicals attributable cost decreased by $25 

million, or 1.3 percent. The decrease in Outside County overwhelmed the increase in InCounty attributable cost. However, on a unit basis, both In-County and Outside County 

costs increased in FY 2019.

Table III-17

Periodicals Attributable Cost and Average Unit Attributable Cost,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

TRENDS IN PERIODICALS

As shown in Figure III-14, Periodicals volume has continued to decline, in large part due to 

the availability of electronic alternatives. For In-County Periodicals, the decline in FY 2019 

is similar to the declines seen in recent years. Volume loss for Outside County Periodicals 

appears to have accelerated in recent years. Since FY 2010, volume for Outside County 

Periodicals decreased by 37.1 percent, or 2.4 billion pieces.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent 

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

In-County 499 510 (11) -2.2% 56 57 (0) -0.7%

Outside County 4,135 4,483 (348) -7.8% 1,138 1,220 (82) -6.7%

Total 4,635 4,993 (359) -7.2% 1,194 1,277 (83) -6.5%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions) Increase or Percent Increase or Percent 

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

In-County 9 6 8 3 1 3 15.6% 19.3 16.3 3.0 18.1%

Outside County 1,769 1,806 (38) -2.1% 42.8 40.3 2.5 6.1%

Total 1,866 1,890 (25) -1.3% 40.3 37.9 2.4 6.3%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 64 -

Figure III-14

Periodicals Percent Change in Volume, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2009–FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LRACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2017/1; Docket 

No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.

The percent change in the average unit attributable cost for In-County and Outside County 

Periodicals is shown in Figure III-15. Both In-County and Outside County average unit 

attributable costs increased significantly in FY 2019,

66 after several years of more modest 

changes.

 

66 For a detailed discussion of unit attributable costs for flat shaped mail see Chapter 6 of FY 2019 ACD, March 25, 2020.

-25.0%

-20.0%

-15.0%

-10.0%

-5.0%

0.0%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Percent Change

Fiscal Year

In-County Outside County
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 65 -

Figure III-15

Periodicals Percent Change in Average Unit Attributable Cost, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2009–FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference PRC-LRACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2017/1; Docket 

No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.

Table III-18 disaggregates the average unit attributable cost of Outside County Periodicals 

for FY 2017 to FY 2019. As shown in Table III-18, the average city carrier in-office unit cost 

and average mail processing unit cost decreased in both FY 2018 and in FY 2019, unit costs 

for both transportation and rural carriers increased in FY 2019. The unit cost for city

carrier street remained unchanged from FY 2018.

Table III-18

Outside County Periodicals Average Unit Attributable Cost by Segment, FY 2017–FY 2019

 Source: PRC derived from Postal Service CSC Report, FY 2017–FY 2019.

-10.0%

-5.0%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Percent Change

Fiscal Year

In-County Outside County

FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019 FY 2018 FY 2019

Mail Processing 20.19 20.07 19.41 -0.6% -3.3%

City Carrier In-Office 6.76 6.60 6.19 -2.4% -6.2%

City Carrrier Street 4.10 4.29 4.29 4.6% 0.0%

Rural Carriers 3.55 3.89 4.09 9.6% 5.1%

Transportation 3.57 4.09 4.26 14.6% 4.2%

All Other 1.40 1.24 1.22 -11.4% -1.6%

Cents per Piece

Cost Segment

Change in Average Unit 

Attributable Cost

Average Unit Attributable Cost
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 66 -

Package Services

The Package Services class consists of four products: Alaska Bypass Service; Bound Printed 

Matter (BPM) Flats; BPM Parcels; and Media Mail/Library Mail. Table III-19 summarizes 

the FY 2019 changes in volume and revenue for Package Services. Overall, Package Services 

volume decreased 2.9 percent in FY 2019. However, Alaska Bypass Service and Media 

Mail/Library Mail volumes were minimally higher compared with FY 2018.

With the exception of Media Mail/Library Mail, all Package Services products had lower 

revenue in FY 2019 than in FY 2018, resulting in lower revenue overall for the Package 

Services class. Unit revenue increased slightly for all Package Services products except 

Alaska Bypass Service. Alaska Bypass Service unit revenue decreased 4.8 percent in FY 

2019.

Table III-19

Package Services Volume and Revenue, FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

As shown in Table III-20, attributable cost increased in the aggregate for all Package 

Services products compared with FY 2018, except for BPM Flats. In FY 2019, Alaska Bypass 

Service cost, which consists entirely of Cost Segment 14 transportation, increased both in 

the aggregate and on a unit basis, by 8.8 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively. The 

attributable cost of BPM Parcels increased 1.5 percent due to an increase in unit cost (4.6 

percent) compared with FY 2018. Media Mail/Library Mail experienced a 10.2 percent 

increase in attributable cost in FY 2019. BPM Flats attributable cost remained virtually 

unchanged in the aggregate but increased from FY 2018 on a unit basis.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Alaska Bypass Service 1 1 0 1.3% 3 2 3 3 (1) -3.6%

Bound Printed Matter Flats 254 265 (11) -4.2% 191 198 (7) -3.6%

Bound Printed Matter Parcels 286 295 (9) -3.0% 315 319 (4) -1.3%

Media Mail/Library Mail 8 0 7 9 1 1.5% 284 276 8 2.7%

Total 622 640 (19) -2.9% 821 826 (5) -0.6%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 67 -

Table III-20

Package Services Attributable Cost and Average Unit Attributable Cost,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Table III-21 shows the FY 2019 percent change in unit attributable cost for selected cost 

segments. As shown in Table III-21, BPM Flats unit cost increased in FY 2019 for city 

carrier activities, transportation, and vehicle service drivers. The unit cost for all other 

segments depicted decreased, but most notably, rural carrier unit cost decreased by 25.7 

percent in FY 2019.

For BPM Parcels, while attributable cost increased overall in FY 2019, unit costs decreased 

in half of the cost segments depicted. For this product, motor vehicles service unit cost 

decreased 28.4 percent, the largest decrease of any segment.

Although three of the segments depicted decreased slightly in FY 2019, increases in the 

remaining segments resulted in an overall increase in the unit cost of Media Mail/Library 

Mail. Unit cost for mail processing, vehicle service driver, and rural carriers increased 

considerably in FY 2019, 13.3 percent, 27.5 percent, and 18.6 percent, respectively.

Table III-21

Package Services Percent Change in Average Unit Attributable Cost by Segment, FY 2019

Source: PRC derived from Postal Service CSC Report, FY 2018 and FY 2019.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Alaska Bypass Service 2 0 1 9 2 8.8% 1,598 1,488 110 7.4%

Bound Printed Matter Flats 133 133 0 -0.1% 5 2 5 0 2 4.2%

Bound Printed Matter Parcels 297 292 4 1.5% 104 9 9 5 4.6%

Media/Library Mail 397 360 3 7 10.2% 496 456 3 9 8.6%

Total 848 805 4 2 5.2% 136 126 1 1 8.4%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

 ($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)

BPM Flats BPM Parcels

Media Mail/ 

Library Mail

Mail Processing -0.7% 7.7% 13.3%

City Carrier In-Office 23.7% 4.0% 0.3%

City Carrier Street 7.9% -1.5% -0.9%

Vehicle Service Driver 38.4% -28.4% 27.5%

Rural Carriers -25.7% 24.7% 18.6%

Motor Vehicle Service -2.9% -1.6% -1.4%

Transportation 25.6% -8.9% -0.4%

All Other -4.2% 0.3% 5.7%

Total Attributable Cost 4.2% 4.6% 8.6%
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 68 -

Market Dominant Special Services

The Special Services class consists of 11 products: 8 domestic products and 3 international 

products. Three Special Services products, Ancillary Services,67 Address Management 

Services, and International Ancillary Services, include a number of distinctive services.

Special Services includes Certified Mail, Insurance, Money Orders, Post Office Box Service, 

and other services that enhance Market Dominant products. As shown in Table III-22, total 

revenue for Special Services declined $52 million in FY 2019. Revenue decreased for three 

services in FY 2019: Insurance (1.8 percent), Registered Mail (16.9 percent), and Other 

Ancillary Services (3.0 percent).

Table III-22

Market Dominant Ancillary Services and Special Services Revenue,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Table III-23 shows that attributable cost for Special Services decreased $20 million in FY 

2019, following a $112 million decrease in FY 2018. The decrease in attributable cost is 

primarily due to decreases in attributable cost for Certified Mail and Insurance.

 

67 One category included in Ancillary Services is “Other Ancillary Services,” which consists of USPS Tracking, Return Receipts, Restricted Delivery, 

Signature Confirmation, Bulk Parcel Return Service, and Special Handling.

Increase or Percent 

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Certified Mail 654 614 4 0 6.5%

Collect on Delivery 4 4 0 5.8%

Insurance 7 8 7 9 (1) -1.8%

Registered Mail 2 4 2 9 (5) -16.9%

Stamped Envelopes & Cards 1 3 1 2 1 8.4%

Other Ancillary Services 390 402 (12) -3.0%

Money Orders 163 159 4 2.8%

Post Office Box Service 294 287 7 2.4%

Other Services 191 173 1 8 10.3%

Total Services 1,811 1,759 5 2 3.0%

Revenue

($ in Millions)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 69 -

Table III-23

Market Dominant Ancillary Services and Special Services Attributable Cost,

FY 2019 and FY 2018

 Negative values denoted by ().

 Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Competitive Volume, Revenue, and Cost by 

Product

Competitive products consist of 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 1,144 Domestic Competitive NSA products in effect during FY 2019. 

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 2019 there were also 785 International Outbound 

NSAs and 8 International Inbound NSAs.

To facilitate comparisons, the products have been grouped into several broad categories. 

Table III-24 summarizes the FY 2019 changes in volume and revenue for Competitive 

products and services. Total volume for Competitive products increased by 0.2 percent in 

FY 2019, as three categories experienced volume losses, while only two experienced 

volume growth. First-Class Package Service volume increased less dramatically in FY 2019 

than in FY 2018, 9.7 percent versus 32.8 percent. However, the FY 2018 increase was in 

part due to the transfer of single-piece retail parcels from the Market Dominant product list 

FY 2019 FY 2018

Increase or 

Decrease

Percent 

Change

Certified Mail 478 530 (52) -9.7%

Collect on Delivery 3 3 0 -12.2%

Insurance 41 48 (7) -14.5%

Registered Mail 17 18 (1) -7.5%

Stamped Envelopes & Cards 11 12 (1) -12.0%

Other Ancillary Services 247 230 18 7.6%

Money Orders 155 147 8 5.3%

Post Office Box Service 256 255 1 0.5%

Other Services 95 79 16 19.5%

Total Services 1,323 1,343 (20) -1.5%

Attributable Cost ($ in Millions)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 70 -

to a new “Retail” rate category within the First-Class Package Service product. Priority Mail 

volume increased by just 1.0 percent in FY 2019.

Total Competitive product revenue increased 5.0 percent, or $1.1 billion, in FY 2019. 

Revenue for every domestic Competitive product except Priority Mail Express increased, 

mirroring increases in volume. On a unit basis, for domestic Competitive products overall, 

revenue increased by approximately 5.5 percent.

Table III-24

Competitive Products Volume and Revenue, FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Table III-25 summarizes the FY 2019 changes in attributable cost. Total attributable cost 

for Competitive products increased 3.2 percent, or approximately $494 million, in FY 2019. 

The largest increases in attributable costs were for First-Class Package Service and 

Domestic Services. On a unit basis, attributable cost increased for Priority Mail Express, for 

First-Class Package Service, for Ground Parcels and for International. Only Priority Mail 

experienced a unit cost decrease.

Table III-25

Competitive Products Attributable Cost and Unit Attributable Cost, FY 2019 and FY 2018

Negative values denoted by ().

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1.

Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Priority Mail Express 2 6 2 8 (2) -7.3% 716 751 (35) -4.7%

First-Class Package Service 1,398 1,275 124 9.7% 4,466 3,871 596 15.4%

Priority Mail 1,085 1,074 1 1 1.0% 9,464 9,103 361 4.0%

Ground Parcels 2,997 3,099 (102) -3.3% 7,271 6,913 357 5.2%

International 166 187 (21) -11.2% 1,380 1,544 (164) -10.6%

Domestic Services 911 877 3 3 3.8%

Total Competitive 5,672 5,663 9 0.2% 24,207 23,059 1,148 5.0%

Mail Volume Mail Revenue

(Millions) ($ in Millions) Increase or Percent Increase or Percent

FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change FY 2019 FY 2018 Decrease Change

Priority Mail Express 301 315 (14) -4.5% 1,149 1,116 3 3 2.9%

First-Class Package Service 3,014 2,692 322 11.9% 216 211 4 2.0%

Priority Mail 7,045 6,983 6 1 0.9% 649 650 (1) -0.1%

Ground Parcels 3,841 3,721 120 3.2% 128 120 8 6.8%

International 981 1,025 (44) -4.3% 592 549 4 3 7.8%

Domestic Services 483 441 4 2 9.6%

Total Competitive 15,960 15,466 494 3.2% 281 273 8 3.0%

Attributable Cost Unit Attributable Cost

($ in Millions) (Cents per Piece)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 71 -

Trends in Competitive Products

Competitive product volume remained virtually unchanged in FY 2019, after exceeding 10 

percent growth each year since FY 2012.

68 Figure III-16 highlights the growth in 

Competitive categories since FY 2010.

Figure III-16

Competitive Volume by Product, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2012 and FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, 

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

ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LR-CR2017/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library 

Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-1.

Competitive products attributable cost has grown rapidly over the last decade, and now 

comprises 36 percent of total attributable cost. However, analysis of total attributable cost 

over time is complicated by mail classification changes that resulted in transfers of 

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, USPS Marketing Mail lightweight parcels to the Competitive ground parcels 

category, single-piece Parcel Post from Market Dominant products to the Competitive 

Standard Post product, and First-Class Mail single-piece retail Parcels to the First-Class 

Package Service product.69

 

68 The transfer of First-Class Mail commercial parcels and lightweight Standard Mail parcels from the market dominant product list to the 

Competitive product list was completed by FY 2012.

69 See Docket No. MC2011-22, Order Adding Lightweight Commercial Parcels to the Competitive Product List, April 6, 2011 (Order No. 710); 

Docket No. MC2010-36, Order Conditionally Granting Request to Transfer Commercial Standard Mail Parcels to the Competitive Product List, 

March 2, 2011 (Order No. 689); Docket No. MC2012-13 Competitive Product List Order Conditionally Granting Request to Transfer Parcel Post 

to the Competitive Product List, July 19, 2012 (Order No. 1411); and Docket No. MC2015-7, Order Conditionally Approving Transfer, July 20, 

2017 (Order No. 4009).
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 72 -

Figure III-17 shows the average unit attributable cost by category from FY 2010 to FY 

2019. Average unit attributable cost is higher for all Competitive parcel categories than it 

was in FY 2012 except for Priority Mail Express. With the exception of ground parcels, 

average unit attributable cost for Competitive products has generally trended upward in 

recent years. The average unit attributable cost of ground parcels increased in FY 2019, 

after several years of cost decreases.

Figure III-17

Competitive Products Average Unit Attributable Cost by Category, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2012 and FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, 

Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, 

Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2017/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRCLR-ACR2019/1.

Figure III-18 shows the percent change in average unit attributable cost by category from 

FY 2010 to FY 2019. Increases and decreases in unit attributable cost are generally smaller 

in magnitude over the last 3 years compared with the preceding 3 years.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 73 -

Figure III-18

Competitive Percent Change in Average Unit Attributable Cost by Category,

FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: FY 2012 and FY 2013 ACD; Docket No. ACR2014, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2014/1; Docket No. ACR2015, Library Reference 

PRC-LR-ACR2015/1; Docket No. ACR2016, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2016/1; Docket No. ACR2017, Library Reference PRC-LRACR2017/1; Docket No. ACR2018, Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2018/1; Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 74 -

Chapter IV. Cost and Profit Analysis

Introduction

Chapter 4 divides the broad categories of costs analyzed in Chapter 2 into segments 

categorized by function, and explores how these costs are impacted by operations and how 

they impact total net income/loss. As stated in Chapter 2 (see Table II-6), the single largest 

cost for the Postal Service is employee salaries and benefits. This chapter contains a 

discussion of labor costs and workhours. The chapter concludes with a summary of a 

measure of productivity, the total factor productivity (TFP).

The analyses in this chapter are based on reports filed by the Postal Service in FY 2019: the 

Cost and Revenue Analysis Report, the Cost Segment and Components Report, and payroll 

data.

Contribution Margin Income Statement

The contribution margin income statement distinguishes between the institutional and 

attributable costs of each individual cost segment. By bifurcating the costs from Chapter 2 

into institutional and attributable cost categories, it aims to provide a different view of the 

current financial condition of the Postal Service.

The contribution margin income statement analyzes the relationships between revenue, 

attributable costs, institutional costs, and overall net income or loss.

Contribution margin on the contribution margin income statement differs from the 

controllable loss on the Postal Service Form 10-K.70 The Postal Service defines controllable 

loss, a non-GAAP measure, as the excess of revenue over costs for normal business 

operations and calculates it by adding to total net loss those costs that it determines do not 

arise from normal business operations and over which it has no control. These costs 

include amortization of unfunded retirement obligations as well as adjustments to the 

value of workers’ compensation and retirement obligations due to actuarial revaluation 

and discount rate changes.

Contribution margin, also a non-GAAP measure, is the excess of revenue over attributable 

costs. As mentioned in Chapter III, attributable costs are 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 [.]71 In Order No. 3506, the Commission revised the methodology for 

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

 

70 Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 18.

71 39 U.S.C. § 3622(c)(2).
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 75 -

estimation of incremental costs. Previously, attributable cost only included the sum of 

volume-variable costs, which in the aggregate, increase as volume increases and decrease 

as volume decreases, and product-specific fixed costs, which are costs caused by a specific 

product or class but do not vary with volume.

Postal Service costs are initially recorded as accrued costs. Accrued costs are separated into 

cost segments generally corresponding to major divisions in the Postal Service’s chart of 

accounts. The separation is accomplished through use of a variety of systems designed to 

determine the cost of various postal activities. Cost drivers that reflect the essential activity 

of each cost component are identified to determine the volume variable portion of 

attributable costs. Most cost segments contain multiple cost components. Attributable costs 

are distributed to products using distribution keys that reflect the underlying cost driver.72

After attributable costs are determined, the residual costs are classified as institutional 

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

total cost minus total attributable cost. While sometimes referred to as “fixed cost,” it is 

more accurately characterized as “common cost” because it includes costs that are variable 

but not causally related to an individual product or class. Institutional cost includes costs 

for carrier network travel time, amortization of RHB unfunded liability, amortization of 

CSRS unfunded liability apportioned to prior years, and various administrative costs.

The contribution margin income statement separates attributable and institutional costs by 

cost segments. Table IV-1 presents a high-level view of the contribution margin income 

statement, highlighting total attributable and institutional costs.

 

72 The Postal Service assigns these costs to each product according to methodologies approved by the Commission. Changes to those 

methodologies are reviewed by the Commission in informal rulemaking proceedings, and members of the general public are given the 

opportunity to comment in such proceedings.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 76 -

Table IV-1

Condensed Contribution Margin Income Statement73

Source: Postal Service CRA Report, FY 2018 and FY 2019.

From FY 2018 to FY 2019, total revenue increased 0.7 percent, total attributable cost 

increased 2.2 percent, and total institutional cost increased 14.6 percent. In both FY 2018 

and FY 2019, the Postal Service generated a positive contribution after all attributable costs 

were subtracted from revenue. However, total institutional cost exceeded the contribution 

amount leading to a net loss in both years. Between FY 2018 and FY 2019, the net loss 

increased 125 percent. Total volume declined 2.6 percent during that same period. All else 

being constant, total attributable costs should generally track volume declines; however, 

changes to the mail mix and cost of inputs impact expected results.

The Postal Service’s institutional costs include substantial costs for retirement-related 

obligations and workers’ compensation. These costs can be highly volatile and are 

impacted by actuarial assumptions, health care inflation rates, and discount rates. These 

costs experience more year-to-year fluctuation at a faster rate than the costs for common 

overhead such as non-labor items for rent, supplies, and transportation, which are largely 

driven by inflation.

To better understand the increase in institutional cost in FY 2019, the Commission analyzes 

changes in individual cost segments. Table IV-2 presents the underlying changes in 

institutional cost by year, beginning in FY 2014. In the last 3 years, the largest changes have 

been in workers’ compensation. Except for FY 2016, the combined annual changes in 

annuitant health benefits, amortization on unfunded retirement funds, and other 

operational costs are not as significant as the year-to-year changes in workers’ 

compensation cost.

 

73 The Postal Service includes inframarginal and group-specific costs in institutional costs. Table IV-4 reallocates inframarginal and group-specific 

costs as attributable costs.

FY 2018 FY 2019 $ Variance % Variance

Total Revenue $ 70,783 $ 71,305 $ 523 0.7%

Total Attributable Costs 43,972 44,920 948 2.2%

Contribution Margin 26,811 26,386 (426) (1.6%)

Total Institutional Costs 30,724 35,199 4,475 14.6%

Net Loss $ (3,913) $ (8,814) $ (4,901) 125.2%

Total All Mail and Services Volume (in Millions) 146,401 142,570 (3,831) (2.6%)

FY 2019 over FY 2018
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 77 -

Table IV-2

Change in Institutional Cost by Segment, FY 2014–FY 2019

($ in Millions)74

Source: Postal Service CRA Report, FY 2014–FY 2019.

To further understand the cost changes that contribute to the Postal Service’s net loss, 

Table IV-3 breaks out both attributable and institutional cost by cost segment.

 

74 For this analysis, the Commission uses the Postal Service’s institutional cost figures, which reflect attribution of incremental costs before the 

product level, and the class level.

FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019

Annuitant Health Benefits $ 333 $ 2 8 $ 389 $ (4,914) $ 1 4 $ 9

CSRS Supplemental Liability - - - 1,550 (270) 204

City Carriers (250) 366 248 (84) 124 145

Rural Carriers 134 114 141 165 187 218

FERS Supplemental Liability 3 103 149 669 4 2 102

Transportation (24) (31) 103 580 9 9 112

Supplies and Services 4 3 2 0 117 7 4 3 (35)

Clerks and Mailhandlers 5 5 240 100 3 5 5 4 (25)

Other (521) (441) 464 394 (392) 361

Subtotal $ (227) $ 397 $ 1,711 $ (1,531) $ (140) $ 1,091

Workers' Compensation 1,290 (655) 966 (3,420) 1,002 3,495

Total Change $ 1,063 $ (258) $ 2,677 $ (4,951) $ 862 $ 4,585
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 78 -

Table IV-3

Contribution Margin Income Statement, FY 2018 and FY 2019

($ in Millions)

Source: Postal Service CRA Report, FY 2018 and FY 2019.

FY 2018 FY 2019 $ Variance % Variance

Total Revenue $ 70,783 $ 71,305 $ 523 0.7%

Attributable Costs:

Postmasters $ 287 $ 293 $ 6 2.1%

Supervisors and Technicians 1,843 1,910 6 7 3.6%

Clerks and Mailhandlers 12,259 12,350 9 1 0.7%

City Delivery Carriers – Office Activity 3,101 3,142 4 2 1.3%

City Delivery Carriers – Street Activity 4,808 4,904 9 5 2.0%

Vehicle Service Drivers 459 493 3 4 7.4%

Rural Carriers 2,834 3,055 221 7.8%

Custodial and Maintenance Services 2,158 2,348 190 8.8%

Motor Vehicle Service 667 657 (10) (1.5%)

Miscellaneous Local Operations 284 287 2 0.8%

Purchased Transportation 6,256 6,467 211 3.4%

Building Occupancy 1,419 1,449 3 0 2.1%

Supplies and Services 1,600 1,462 (138) (8.6%)

Research and Development 0 - 0 n/a

Servicewide Personnel Benefits and HQ/Area Operations 3,066 3,071 5 0.2%

General Management Systems 0 0 0 n/a

Other Accrued Expenses (Servicewide) 1,492 1,484 (8) (0.6%)

Total Attributable Costs $ 42,535 $ 43,373 $ 838 2.0%

Contribution Margin $ 28,248 $ 27,933 $ (315) (1.1%)

Institutional Costs:

Postmasters $ 1,346 $ 1,373 $ 2 6 2.0%

Supervisors and Technicians 1,562 1,595 3 3 2.1%

Clerks and Mailhandlers 2,729 2,704 (25) (0.9%)

City Delivery Carriers – Office Activity 612 624 1 2 2.0%

City Delivery Carriers – Street Activity 7,935 8,080 145 1.8%

Vehicle Service Drivers 301 323 2 2 7.4%

Rural Carriers 5,242 5,460 218 4.2%

Custodial and Maintenance Services 1,012 842 (170) (16.8%)

Motor Vehicle Service 1,045 1,048 3 0.3%

Miscellaneous Local Operations 413 334 (79) (19.1%)

Purchased Transportation 1,605 1,717 112 7.0%

Building Occupancy 579 596 1 7 2.9%

Supplies and Services 1,652 1,616 (35) (2.1%)

Research and Development 5 3 2 7 (27) n/a

Servicewide Personnel Benefits and HQ/Area Operations 5,467 9,750 4,282 78.3%

General Management Systems 1 8 1 8 0 n/a

Other Accrued Expenses (Servicewide) 590 641 5 0 8.5%

Total Institutional Costs $ 32,161 $ 36,746 $ 4,585 14.3%

Total Costs $ 74,696 $ 80,119 $ 5,423 7.3%

Net Loss $ (3,913) $ (8,814) $ (4,901) 125.2%

Total All Mail and Services Volume (in Millions) 146,401 142,570 (3,831) (2.6%)

FY 2019 over FY 2018
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 79 -

As seen in Table IV-3, attributable costs increased for Custodial and Maintenance Services, 

but institutional costs decreased for this segment. The increase in attributable cost was 

primarily due to a 16.7 percent increase from the prior year in Operating Equipment 

Maintenance. In FY 2019, Operating Equipment Maintenance consisted of slightly less than 

half of total accrued costs (48 percent) for Custodial and Maintenance Services. Operating 

equipment maintenance costs are for personnel responsible for the maintenance of mail 

processing equipment, Point of Service, Intelligent Mail Devices (IMDs) and Mobile Delivery 

Devices (MDDs), and other window service and computer equipment. The decrease in 

institutional cost for this segment is because the volume variability percentage for IMDs 

and MDDs increased from the prior year.

Miscellaneous Local Operations are costs incurred for contract stations; carfare and drive 

out agreements; tolls and ferriage; Federal Reserve Bank and commercial bank charges and 

retail credit card fees; arbitration settlements and individual awards; freight charges for 

supplies; rental allowances for cost ascertainment group L offices; and other local 

operations costs, including costs of postal field offices. Although overall costs are small for 

this component, it experienced a large percentage decrease in FY 2019. The decrease in 

total costs (attributable plus institutional) in this segment is primarily caused by a 29 

percent decline in Arbitration Settlements and Individual Awards. Arbitration Settlements 

and Individual Awards costs relate to arbitration awards resulting from contractual 

negotiations and grievances and employee awards for outstanding performance.

As seen in Table IV-3, certain cost segments show large absolute increases from FY 2018 

amounts. The three largest absolute increases from the prior year, which occur in the cost 

segments for rural carriers, purchased transportation, and Servicewide Personnel Benefits 

and HQ/Area Operations, are discussed below.

Rural carriers deliver to and collect mail from non-urban zones that are determined 

through labor negotiations.75 The rural carrier cost segment is comprised of three cost 

components: Evaluated Routes, Other Routes, and Equipment Maintenance Allowance. The 

largest portion of cost in this segment is comprised of labor costs for full-time or Evaluated 

Routes, which increased by 5.1 percent from FY 2018. Compared to FY 2018, higher costs 

in this segment partly result from a 3 percent increase in headcount for full-time rural 

delivery carriers, from 70,852 to 73,165 carriers76 and the growth of rural routes (0.8 

percent) and residential and business rural delivery points (1.9 percent).77 Evaluated 

Routes have a volume variability of 38.1 percent, which means 68.9 percent of these costs 

are institutional.78

Purchased Transportation consists of the costs of contracted air, trucking, rail, and water 

transportation. This cost segment is comprised of six components: Domestic Air, Domestic 

 

75 United States Postal Service, Rule 39 C.F.R. Section 3050.60(f) Report for FY 2018 (Summary Descriptions), July 1, 2019, folder 

“SummaryDescriptionsFY2018,” file “CS10-18.docx,” at 10-1 (Postal Service FY 2018 Summary Descriptions).

76 Library Reference USPS-FY19-17, December 27, 2019, file “FY19.Annual.Report.USPS.FY19.17.pdf,” at 16 (Postal Service FY 2019 Annual 

Report to Congress).

77 Postal Service FY 2019 Annual Report to Congress at 14.

78 Postal Service FY 2018 Summary Descriptions, folder “SummaryDescriptionsFY2018,” file “CS10-18.docx,” at 10-1.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 80 -

Alaska Air, Highway, Railroad, Domestic Water, and International. The largest portion of 

the increase from FY 2018 occurred in Domestic Air and Highway. Total accrued costs in 

these components increased by 5.9 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively. The Postal 

Service states that the main causes of higher air transportation costs were higher air rates, 

higher volumes, and higher average jet fuel prices. Higher highway costs resulted from 

higher average fuel costs and higher unit costs per mile, due to a national shortage of truck 

drivers.79

The Servicewide Personnel Benefits and HQ/Area Operations cost segment consists of 

costs for salaries, benefits, supplies, and other related costs for Headquarters, Field Service 

Units, the Security Force, and Area Offices, and corporate-wide personnel expenses that are

not reported by employee category, such as costs for CSRS, FERS, RHB, and workers’ 

compensation.80 The largest increase in this cost segment in FY 2019 resulted from the 

change in Workers’ Compensation Prior Year. This component has a 0 percent volume 

variability; all of its costs are categorized as institutional. Prior year workers’ 

compensation costs are the residual difference between the accrued workers’ 

compensation costs and the current year workers’ compensation costs, arising from 

changes in discount rates and/or actuarial revaluation of past year injuries.81 The impact of 

the changes in discount rates contributed to a $3.4 billion prior year variance in workers’ 

compensation expense. Discount rates decreased from 3.1 percent to 1.9 percent in FY 

2019, resulting in a $2.4 billion increase in workers’ compensation expense. In FY 2018, the 

impact of an increase in discount rates contributed to a $1.1 billion decrease in workers’ 

compensation expense.

Analysis of Cost Segments

The majority of the Postal Service’s costs are concentrated in five cost segments: Clerks and 

Mailhandlers, City Delivery Carriers – Street Activity, Rural Carriers, Purchased 

Transportation, and Servicewide Personnel Benefits and HQ/Area Operations. See Figure 

IV-1.

 

79 Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 17.

80 Postal Service FY 2018 Summary Descriptions, folder “SummaryDescriptionsFY2018,” file “CS18-18.docx,” at 18-1.

81 Postal Service FY 2018 Summary Descriptions, folder “SummaryDescriptionsFY2018,” file “CS18-18.docx,” at 18-17.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 81 -

Figure IV-1

Share of Total Costs by Major Cost Segment, FY 2015–FY 2019

* Other comprises of cost segments for Postmasters, Supervisors and Technicians, City Delivery Carriers-Office Activity, Vehicle Service Drivers, 

Custodial and Maintenance Services, Motor Vehicle Services, Miscellaneous Local Operations, Building Occupancy, Supplies and Services, 

Research and Development, General Management Services, and Other Accrued Expenses (Servicewide).

Source: Postal Service CRA Report, FY 2015–FY 2019.

From FY 2015 to FY 2019, the rate of growth in total costs in these five cost segments (9.3 

percent) outpaced the rate of growth in the Postal Service’s total costs (8.3 percent).

Table IV-4 shows the share of costs that are institutional for each cost segment. For three 

out of the five cost segments identified in Figure IV-1, more than 60 percent of total costs 

are institutional. In the remaining two cost segments, the institutional cost share of total 

cost increased year over year. This is because institutional costs grew more than 

attributable costs during this timeframe. In general, year-to-year changes are due to 

methodological rule makings and cost characteristics of the individual cost components.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 82 -

Table IV-4

Institutional Cost Share of Total Costs, FY 2015–FY 2019

Source: Postal Service CRA Report, FY 2015–FY 2019.

Analysis of Employee Labor Cost

Employee labor costs, including compensation and benefits, are 70.3 percent of total Postal 

Service costs. There are three categories of Postal Service employees: full-time career 

employees, part-time career employees, and non-career employees. Full-time or part-time 

career employees typically receive full federal benefits, whereas non-career employees 

serve in temporary positions and do not receive full federal benefits. Over the past decade 

(FY 2010–FY 2019), the Postal Service has reduced its full-time and part-time workforce by 

approximately 87,000 employees and added approximately 48,000 non-career employees. 

See Figure IV-2.

FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 FY 2019

CS1 Postmasters 82.4% 82.4% 82.4% 82.4% 82.4%

CS2 Supervisors and Technicians 46.1% 45.9% 45.7% 45.9% 45.5%

CS3 Clerks and Mailhandlers 17.6% 17.9% 18.0% 18.2% 18.0%

CS6 City Delivery Carriers – Office Activity 15.9% 16.5% 16.2% 16.5% 16.6%

CS7 City Delivery Carriers – Street Activity 63.7% 63.7% 63.1% 62.3% 62.2%

CS8 Vehicle Service Drivers 39.6% 39.6% 39.6% 39.6% 39.6%

CS10 Rural Carriers 66.1% 65.7% 65.6% 64.9% 64.1%

CS11 Custodial and Maintenance Services 28.8% 28.9% 31.9% 31.9% 26.4%

CS12 Motor Vehicle Service 62.3% 62.3% 61.8% 61.0% 61.5%

CS13 Miscellaneous Local Operations 57.1% 55.5% 54.2% 59.2% 53.8%

CS14 Purchased Transportation 12.5% 13.3% 20.8% 20.4% 21.0%

CS15 Building Occupancy 29.6% 30.0% 29.3% 29.0% 29.1%

CS16 Supplies and Services 50.1% 52.1% 51.3% 50.8% 52.5%

CS17 Research and Development 99.9% 99.1% 99.9% 100.0% 100.0%

CS18 Servicewide Personnel Benefits and HQ/Area Operations 74.8% 79.7% 63.3% 64.1% 76.0%

CS19 General Management Systems 99.9% 99.9% 100.0% 99.9% 99.9%

CS20 Other Accrued Expenses (Servicewide) 23.6% 25.2% 27.9% 28.3% 30.2%

Cost Segments

Institutional Costs Share of Total Costs
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 83 -

Figure IV-2

Breakdown of Workforce, FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: USPS Annual Tables, FY 2019 Total Factor Productivity, February 27, 2020, Excel file “Table Annual 2019 Public.xlsx,” tab “Lab-13b” 

(Postal Service FY 2019 TFP).

From FY 2009 to FY 2014, the Postal Service aggressively reduced workhours each year. 

That trend changed in FY 2015, and workhours have, generally, been increasing each year 

since then. In FY 2015 and FY 2016, workhours increased 1.9 percent and 2.6 percent, 

respectively. Since the peak in FY 2016, workhours have been increasing at a slower pace. 

Figure IV-3 depicts annual workhours during the past 11 years.

 -

 100,000

 200,000

 300,000

 400,000

 500,000

 600,000

 700,000

 800,000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Number of Employees

Fiscal Year

Full-Time Career Employees Part-Time Career Employees Non-Career Employees
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 84 -

Figure IV-3

Total Workhours, FY 2009–FY 2019

 Source: Postal Service FY 2019 TFP, tab "Lab-13b.”

As illustrated in Figure IV-4, the reduction in the postal workforce and workhours from FY 

2009 to FY 2014 generated approximately $2 billion in cost savings. The cost of 

compensation and benefits increased sharply in FY 2015 and has continued to grow since 

then. Although there was a reduction in workforce in FY 2018 and FY 2019, workhours and 

compensation and benefits costs continued to increase. Retirement expense in FY 2015 

increased significantly (12.5 percent), primarily due to the increase in the FERS employer 

contribution rate from 11.9 percent to 13.2 percent of basic pay for most employees.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 85 -

Figure IV-4

Percent Change from Prior Year in Compensation and Benefits,

Workforce and Workhours,

FY 2010–FY 2019

Source: Postal Service FY 2019 Form 10-K at 25; Postal Service FY 2016 Form 10-K at 20; Postal Service FY 2013 Form 10-K at 28; 

Postal Service FY 2019 TFP, tab “Lab-13b;” Postal Service September 2019 ORPES Report; Postal Service September 2018 ORPES 

Report; Postal Service September 2017 ORPES Report; United States Postal Service, On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics Report, 

September 2016, October 6, 2016; United States Postal Service, On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics Report, September 2015, 

September 24, 2015; United States Postal Service, On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics Report, September 2014, September 26, 

2014; United States Postal Service, On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics Report, September 2013, September 27, 2013; United 

States Postal Service, On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics Report, September and October 2012, November 28, 2012; United States 

Postal Service, On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics Report, July, August, and September 2011, October 27, 2011; United States 

Postal Service, On-Roll and Paid Employee Statistics Report, September 2010, October 6, 2010.

Between FY 2010 and FY 2014, the Postal Service reduced its workforce, workhours, and 

compensation and benefits costs. Decreases in workhours and workforce during this 

period reflect declines in mail volume, delivery optimization initiatives, streamlining area 

and district offices, incentives for employees to retire or resign, and the slowing growth 

rate of new delivery points due to lower housing starts. Savings from the reduction in 

career employees during FY 2011 and FY 2012 were partially offset by higher retirement 

costs due to increases in the FERS contribution rate from 11.2 percent in FY 2010 to 11.7 

percent in FY 2011 and higher health benefit premiums. Increases in the number of 

overtime hours of 8.4 percent in FY 2011 and 3.4 percent in FY 2012 also offset the savings. 
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report - 86 -

The number of total employees remained essentially unchanged from FY 2013 to FY 2014 

with a slight decrease (0.3 percent) in workhours.

Total workhours during FY 2015 increased by 1.9 percent, in part due to an increase in 

workhours for city delivery and customer service operations. The increase in workhours, a 

slight increase (0.6 percent) in career employees, and contractually obligated salary 

escalations during FY 2015 resulted in higher compensation and benefits costs.

The composition of the postal workforce is a significant factor in compensation and 

benefits costs. Between FY 2011 and FY 2013, the Postal Service reduced its career 

employees by 11.8 percent and increased its non-career employees by 42.7 percent. This 

lowered the hourly wage in FY 2013 and FY 2014 and, because the Postal Service does not 

cover health benefit premiums for non-career employees, the cost of benefits as well. 

Consequently, the Postal Service was able to decrease total compensation and benefits 

costs at a pace that exceeded the decrease in total workforce and workhours.

In FY 2016 and FY 2017, the number of total employees and total workhours increased. 

Compensation and benefits costs also increased during the same period due to 

contractually obligated salary escalations. The increase in compensation and benefits costs 

from additional workhours and contractually obligated salary escalations was partially 

offset by attrition of higher-paid employees, who were replaced by newly converted career 

employees and non-career employees earning lower wages. In FY 2016 and FY 2017, FERS 

normal costs increased by 5.5 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively, consistent with the 

increase in the FERS employer contribution rate. Average health benefit premiums also 

increased by 3.8 percent in FY 2016 and 4.4 percent in FY 2017.

In FY 2018 and FY 2019, the total number of employees decreased by 1.6 percent and 0.2 

percent, respectively, reflecting normal attrition as the Postal Service aligns its workforce 

with declining mail volume. During the same period, total workhours increased slightly, 

influenced primarily by the growth in the number of delivery points and higher volume 

during the holiday seasons. Compensation and benefits costs increased by 1.8 percent and 

2.1 percent, respectively, due to contractual wage adjustments and the increase in total 

workhours. In FY 2018 and FY 2019, average health benefit premiums increased by 4.0 

percent and 1.2 percent, respectively.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report Appendix A

 Page 1 of 1

Appendix A

FY 2019 Volume, Revenue, Incremental Cost, and Cost Coverage by Class, Current 

Classification (Products)

Source: Library Reference PRC-LR-ACR2019/1.

Contribution to Contribution to

Attributable Institutional Institutional

Volume Revenue (Incremental) Cost Cost Rev./Pc. Cost/Pc. Cost/Pc. Cost

(000) ($ 000) ($ 000) ($ 000) (Cents) (Cents) (Cents) Coverage

COMPETITIVE MAIL

Priority Mail Express 26,163 716,187 300,551 415,636 2,737.395 1,148.759 1,588.636 238.3%

Priority Mail 1,085,277 9,463,723 7,044,911 2,418,812 872.010 649.135 222.875 134.3%

Total Ground 2,997,116 7,270,790 3,845,619 3,425,171 242.593 128.311 114.282 189.1%

First-Class Package Service 1,398,204 4,466,212 3,013,875 1,452,337 319.425 215.553 103.872 148.2%

Competitive Domestic Services 910,535 483,212 427,324 188.4%

Competitive International Mail & Services 165,692 1,379,908 980,591 399,316 832.814 591.815 240.999 140.7%

Total Competitive Group Specific & Non-Product Inframarginal Costs 291,263

Total Competitive Mail and Services 5,672,452 24,207,356 15,960,022 8,247,334 426.753 281.360 145.393 151.7% MARKET DOMINANT MAIL

First-Class Mail

Single-Piece Letters and Cards 16,517,387 8,552,422 5,477,495 3,074,927 51.778 33.162 18.616 156.1%

Presort Letters and Cards 37,130,541 14,229,589 4,858,557 9,371,032 38.323 13.085 25.238 292.9%

Flats 1,295,348 1,652,268 1,515,961 136,308 127.554 117.031 10.523 109.0%

First-Class Non-Product Inframarginal Costs 237,601

Total Domestic First-Class Mail 54,943,277 24,434,280 12,089,614 12,344,665 44.472 22.004 22.468 202.1% MARKETING MAIL

High Density & Saturation Letters 7,253,647 1,199,024 585,723 613,301 16.530 8.075 8.455 204.7%

High Density & Saturation Flats & Parcels 11,606,928 2,071,171 1,498,703 572,468 17.844 12.912 4.932 138.2%

Carrier Route 6,358,867 1,671,903 1,673,266 (1,363) 26.292 26.314 (0.021) 99.9%

Letters 45,966,176 9,734,623 5,124,154 4,610,469 21.178 11.148 10.030 190.0%

Flats 3,818,182 1,562,300 2,306,583 (744,283) 40.917 60.411 (19.493) 67.7%

Parcels 36,861 48,310 84,912 (36,602) 131.057 230.354 (99.297) 56.9%

Every Door Direct Mail - Retail 649,386 119,785 46,160 73,626 18.446 7.108 11.338 259.5% Marketing Mail Non-Product Inframarginal Costs 478,441

Total Marketing Mail 75,690,047 16,407,117 11,797,942 4,609,175 21.677 15.587 6.090 139.1%

Periodicals Within County 499,313 56,193 96,274 (40,081) 11.254 19.281 (8.027) 58.4%

Outside County 4,135,305 1,137,884 1,768,645 (630,760) 27.516 42.769 (15.253) 64.3%

Periodicals Non-Product Inframarginal Costs 612

Total Periodicals 4,634,618 1,194,077 1,865,530 (671,453) 25.764 40.252 (14.488) 64.0%

Package Services

Alaska Bypass Service 1,274 31,733 20,361 11,372 2,491.317 1,598.495 892.822 155.9%

Bound Printed Matter Flats 254,368 190,951 132,857 58,094 75.069 52.230 22.839 143.7%

Bound Printed Matter Parcels 285,933 314,731 296,679 18,052 110.072 103.758 6.313 106.1% Media and Library Mail 80,122 284,005 397,042 (113,037) 354.466 495.547 (141.081) 71.5%

Package Services Non-Product Inframarginal Costs 831

Total Package Services 621,696 821,420 847,770 (26,350) 132.126 136.364 (4.238) 96.9%

U.S. Postal Service Mail 284,579

Free Mail 34,109 39,846 (39,846) 116.819

Total Market Dominant Mail 136,208,325 42,856,893 26,640,702 16,216,191 31.464 19.559 11.905 160.9% Market Dominant Services

Ancillary Services

Certified Mail 653,630 478,433 175,198 136.6%

Collect on Delivery 4,206 2,514 1,692 167.3%

Insurance 77,676 41,461 36,215 187.3%

Registered Mail 24,199 16,768 7,432 144.3%

Stamped Envelopes 12,184 10,604 1,580 114.9%

Stamped Cards 562 178 384 316.3%

Other Ancillary Services 389,692 247,261 142,431 157.6% Money Orders 162,935 154,512 8,423 105.5%

Post Office Box Service 294,360 255,835 38,525 115.1%

Caller Service 89,354 21,110 68,245 423.3%

Other Special Services 42,678 15,359 27,318 277.9% Market Dominant Services Non-Product Inframarginal Costs 20,105

Total Market Dominant Domestic Services 1,751,477 1,264,139 487,337

Outbound Single-Piece Mail International 126,052 184,473 126,598 57,875

Inbound Single-Piece Mail International 563,066 843,248 800,142 43,105

International Services 58,861 58,514 347 Market Dominant International Non-Product Inframarginal Costs 1,228 Market Dominant International Mail & Services 689,118 1,086,582 986,483 100,099

Other Income 1,221,623 1,221,623

Other International Mail Attributable 68,287 (68,287)

Total Mail and Services 142,569,895 71,123,931 44,919,634 26,204,297 49.887 31.507 18.380 158.3%

Institutional Costs 35,199,404

Appropriations: Revenue Forgone 30,052

Investment Income 151,505

Total Revenues 71,305,488

Total Costs 80,119,038

Net Income (Loss) (8,813,550)
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report Appendix B

 Page 1 of 2

Appendix B

Total Factor Productivity

Total factor productivity (TFP) is a measure of Postal Service productivity for any given 

year. TFP measures the change in the relationship between outputs (workload processed) 

and inputs (resources usage), over a period of time. Workload consists of weighted mail 

volume, miscellaneous output, and the expanding delivery network. Resources consist of 

labor, materials (including purchased transportation), and capital assets. TFP is calculated 

as the difference in workload growth and the growth of resources used.

TFP is the Postal Service’s best measure of operational efficiency.

1 Generally, operational 

efficiency measures a firm’s ability to processes more output or workload with the same 

level of inputs. TFP is calculated by dividing the output,2 or workload of the Postal Service, 

by the input,3 or resources used by the Postal Service. NWPC Report 1 at 1. Therefore, 

increases in TFP reflect increases in operational efficiency because the Postal Service was 

able to either process more mail volume using the same level of inputs or process less mail 

volume using proportionally less inputs. Order No. 4257 at 206. Conversely, TFP decreases 

when the Postal Service uses more inputs for the same amount of volume or workload, 

reflecting a decline in operational efficiency. Id.

Prior to FY 2000, the Postal Service’s growth in workhours outpaced its workload, resulting 

in either reductions or small gains in TFP. From FY 2000 to FY 2007, the Postal Service 

reduced its labor force while its workload remained basically flat, resulting in 

improvements in productivity. The large drop in mail volume in FY 2008 and FY 2009 

resulted in a decline in workload and a corresponding decline in productivity.

The last decade saw early TFP growth that leveled off in recent years. The productivity 

growth is partly caused by the reduction in workhours and the continued restrictions on 

capital investment, resulting in lower resource usage and a corresponding improvement in 

productivity. From FY 2011 to FY 2015, TFP improved each year as workhours decreased. 

Since FY 2016, average annual wages increased resulting in yearly increases in the postal 

inflation factor (a measure of the change in the cost of resources used) after a period of 

decline.

TFP decreased slightly, by 0.3 percent, in FY 2019, compared to a 0.1 percent decrease in 

FY 2018. Total workload declined by 1.1 percent in FY 2019, slightly more than the 0.8 

percent decline in the usage of resources for the same period.

Figure B-1 shows the trend in TFP from FY 1972 through FY 2019.

 

1 Order on the Findings and Determination of the 39 U.S.C. § 3622 Review, December 1, 2017, at 206 (Order No. 4257).

2 Postal Service outputs or workload is comprised of weighted mail volume, miscellaneous output, and possible deliveries. Northwest Postal 

Consulting for the Postal Regulatory Commission, Report 1, Adequacy of the Postal Service’s TFP Model, March 27, 2017, at 1 (NWPC Report 1).

3 Postal Service inputs are comprised of the price of labor, materials and capital. NWPC Report 1 at 1.
FY 2019 Financial Analysis Report Appendix B

 Page 2 of 2

Figure B-1

Postal Service Total Factor Productivity, FY 1972–FY 2019

 Source: Postal Service FY 2019 TFP, tab “Tfp-52.”

100

105

110

115

120

125

130

135

140

19721974197619781980198219841986198819901992199419961998200020022004200620082010201220142016

2018

Index (1972 = 100)

Fiscal Year

Average Annual Growth

1972–2006 = 0.51%

2007–2019 = 0.44%