The Postal Service has announced its financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 (Jan. 1-March 31). Here are some highlights:
• Revenue. Total operating revenue was $20.2 billion for the quarter, a 2.3 percent increase compared with the same quarter of the previous fiscal year. The increase was due to price increases in the shipping and packages, Marketing Mail and First-Class Mail categories.
• Volume. Total volume was 25.6 billion pieces, down 3.4 percent compared with the same quarter one year ago. First-Class Mail volume declined 6.3 percent, while Marketing Mail volume declined 0.9 percent. Shipping and packages volume declined 1.4 percent.
• Expenses. Under generally accepted accounting principles, total operating expenses were $22.1 billion for the quarter, a decrease of 4.1 percent compared with the same quarter one year ago. The overall decrease in operating expenses was primarily because of the effect of discount rates on workers’ compensation costs and the actuarial revaluation of existing workers’ compensation cases.
• Net loss. Net loss for the quarter totaled $2 billion, compared with a net loss of $3.3 billion for the same quarter last year. The $1.3 billion decrease is attributed to an operating revenue increase of $463 million and a decrease in workers’ compensation expenses of $1.3 billion.
“During the quarter we were able to get revenue, cost and service results moving in the right direction. However, the scale of our financial improvements compared to the prior year was modest and we have a long road to go to achieve anything close to long-term financial sustainability,” Postmaster General David Steiner said.
“It is a simple fact that we are in a cash crisis, and we are now taking serious and appropriate steps to conserve funds to operate. To avoid disruption and to sustain our role supporting American commerce and the public, we require urgent Congressional action to expand our borrowing authority and to address outdated constraints on the organization.”
The Postal Service’s May 8 news release has more information.
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