Friday, November 14, 2025
USPS reports year-end financial results
Operating revenue was $80.5 billion
The Postal Service has reported its financial results for fiscal year 2025 (Oct. 1, 2024-Sept. 30, 2025). Here are the highlights:
• Revenue. Total operating revenue was $80.5 billion, an increase of 1.2 percent compared with the previous fiscal year. First-Class Mail revenue increased 1.5 percent, while Marketing Mail revenue increased 2.3 percent. Shipping and packages revenue increased 1 percent.
• Volume. Total volume was 108.7 billion pieces, down 3.3 percent from the previous fiscal year. First-Class Mail volume declined 5 percent, while Marketing Mail volume declined 1.3 percent. Shipping and packages volume declined 5.7 percent.
• Expenses. Total operating expenses were nearly $89.8 billion, an increase of 0.4 percent compared with the previous fiscal year. The overall increase in operating expenses was primarily due to increases in compensation costs and other operating costs, including an incentivized voluntary early retirement offer to certain employees, partially offset by the effect of discount rates on workers’ compensation costs and lower transportation costs.
• Controllable loss. Excluding certain expenses that are not controllable by management, the controllable loss was $2.7 billion for the year, compared with $1.8 billion for the previous fiscal year. The net loss for the year under generally accepted accounting principles totaled $9 billion, compared with a net loss of $9.5 billion for the previous fiscal year. The decrease in net loss is attributed to an operating revenue increase of $916 million, transportation expense reductions of $422 million, and a decrease in workers’ compensation expense of $1.1 billion, partially offset by increased compensation and benefits expense of $1.7 billion, and higher other operating expenses of $221 million.
“In surveying the results of the past year, the occasional appearance of financial progress — such as our profitable first quarter — is far outweighed by the reality of our significant systemic annual revenue and cost imbalance,” said Postmaster General David Steiner. “To correct our financial imbalances, we must explore new revenue opportunities and public policy changes to improve our business model. Most importantly, we must operate more efficiently and compete more effectively to best perform our public service mission.”
The Postal Service’s Nov. 14 news release has more information.
People
Meeting the moment
Employees hold date-meets-ZIP festivities and continue a holiday tradition
Post Offices in the California towns of Escondido (92025), Blythe (92225) and Crestline (92325) each recently celebrated their once-a-century ZIP Code date with destiny.
Escondido set off streamers to a cheering crowd at exactly 9:20 and 25 seconds on the morning of Sept. 20. Attendees could also see a new USPS delivery vehicle, mingle with postal employees and collect a special cancellation stamp designed by local artist Hannah Ramirez. Escondido Mayor Dane White helped welcome guests.
“Celebrating the small things helps us all to remember that we are part of a larger organization,” Marlene Lopez, a USPS secretary, said.
Blythe and Crestline also both created special date-meets-ZIP postmarks, and Crestline hosted an informational display set up by the Rim of the World Historical Society chronicling the office’s history.
“I was pleased to see so many people interested and engaged in this special Zip Code Day today,” Crestline Postmaster Ken Cooper said, noting it won’t happen again for another hundred years. “I am glad I got to help the community celebrate.”
High season in Santa Claus
Since 1983, Santa Claus, IN — believed to be the only town in the world named after the jolly old elf — has run a yearly contest for high schoolers to design a holiday postmark.
“It’s an endearing holiday tradition,” Postmaster Joshua Graham told WBIW.com, a local news website. “It contributes to the charm of the spirit each season.”
This year’s honors went to Christopher Scherer of Mariah Hill, IN, for his sketch of Kriss Kringle driving a pickup truck with a Christmas tree and gifts in its bed.
The Post Office for the small town of 2,700 typically receives more than 400,000 mailpieces from around the world in December, as opposed to its usual monthly tally of 13,000.
“People” appears regularly in Link. Got news to share? Email us.
News Quiz
Still serving
How much do you know about USPS veteran employees?
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end.
1. The Postal Service’s workforce includes how many military veterans?
a) 36,000
b) 47,000
c) 59,000
d) 68,000
2. USPS employees and contractors should follow which of the following cybersecurity practices regarding smart devices?
a) Change the default passwords and create unique passphrases.
b) Never plug personal smart devices into USPS equipment.
c) Stay current on all software updates and security patches.
d) All of the above.
3. Warrensburg, NY, Letter Carrier Douglas Olden recently assisted a customer off the ground and into his home. What was on the ground next to the customer?
a) Garden rake
b) Leaf blower
c) Water hose
d) Wheelbarrow
4. True or false: Under USPS ethics rules, an employee cannot put in a good word for a friend so that a Post Office hires that friend’s landscaping company.
a) True
b) False
5. What was challenging about the Eastern states when Olympia, WA, Letter Carrier Ryan Troy used postage stamps to create a map of the United States?
a) He didn’t own many stamps related to those states.
b) He owned too many stamps related to those states.
c) Their relative small size made it hard to position the stamps.
d) There were too many stamps from which to choose.
Answers: 1) d. 2) d. 3) b. 4) a. 5) c.
Postal Bulletin looks at recycling
Postal Bulletin’s latest edition, published Nov. 13, provides information about the organization’s recycling operation.
Updates to the organization’s policies, procedures and forms are also included.
Employees can go to usps.com to read and download the latest Postal Bulletin, along with past issues.