Flexible Workforce Lowers USPS Wages—and Hurts Productivity

The U.S. Postal Service hoped to boost deliveries per work hour from 41.0 to 42.7 during FY2013, but the annual report said it fell short partly because so many new employees had to be brought up to speed. Having more mail volume than anticipated (a decline of less than 1 percent, versus 5 percent the previous year) also hurt productivity, despite improving USPS’s finances, the report noted.

The report does not discuss another productivity measure—mail pieces delivered per work hour—but that appears to have changed little during the year.

Downsizing of the workforce, consolidation of facilities and carrier routes, and greater automation