June 15, 2009

HORSEHEADS--These days, it seems like everyone is feeling the effects of the recession, even the Post Office.  

    The Post Office is delivering billions fewer pieces of mail this year than last.  People are sending e-mails instead of letters and paying bills on-line.  And businesses are cutting back on mailings all together.   

   Snow, rain, sleet, and hail might not stop the Post Office from delivering the mail, but the economic recession just might. The Post Office has seen a big drop off in outgoing mail in 2009.  About 20-25 billion fewer pieces of mail are expected to be stamped, sorted, and sent out.       

   In western New York alone, Post Office visits are down about 7% from 2008.   The U.S. Postal Service says it's trying to run things as efficiently as possible.  They're offering incentives, like deals for on-line shipping to lure in customers.  The recession isn't just a New York postal problem, it's nation wide and that means downsizing, maybe layoffs.    

   The Post Office has also proposed cutting a day of mail delivery.  But that move would need congressional approval, because a six-day-a-week delivery is federally mandated.