Monday, May 11, 2026
USPS reports second-quarter financial results
Total operating revenue was $20.2 billion
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commerce and the public, we require urgent Congressional action to expand our borrowing authority and to address outdated constraints on the organization.”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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History
This letter carrier received the Medal of Honor
William H. Carney was born a slave, fought for the Union and then worked for the Post Office Department
On May 9, 1900, former Army Sgt. William H. Carney became the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor.
He was also one of the first known black letter carriers for the Post Office Department, where he worked for 32 years.
He was born into slavery in Norfolk, VA, on Feb. 29, 1840. His enslaved father fled Norfolk on the Underground Railroad and settled in New Bedford, MA, where Carney and the family later joined him.
Carney, who had secretly learned to read and write, was considering joining the ministry, but with the winds of war swirling, he saw serving in the Union Army as a way to serve God.
He joined the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment and was shot while protecting the American flag at Fort Wagner outside Charleston, SC. He eventually planted the flag on the fort’s parapet despite his wounds.
The regiment’s actions that day inspired the film “Glory.”
Carney’s famous words about his effort — “I only did my duty; the old flag never touched the ground” — also inspired a song in his honor.
In 1869, Carney became the first Black letter carrier in New Bedford and in 1890, he became a founding vice president of New Bedford Branch 18 of the National Association of Letter Carriers.
He worked for the New Bedford Post Office for 32 years, after which he was employed as a messenger at the Massachusetts State House.
Carney died in 1908 from injuries sustained in an elevator accident at the state house. By many accounts, the incident occurred when the war hero politely backed out of the elevator to make room for additional passengers.
The “History” column appears occasionally in Link.
Heroes
He helped a family and their dog escape a fire
This postal employee saw flames coming from a house and took action
City Carrier Assistant Kyle Quillen was delivering mail in Haddonfield, NJ, recently when he saw smoke and flames coming out of a residence.
After calling 911, the Postal Service employee rushed to the house and saw a mother on a side porch with her young child and dog.
Quillen jumped over a fence to reach them, then helped the family and pet away the home while waiting for the police and fire department to arrive.
Paramedics treated the mother and child for smoke inhalation.
Employees featured in “Heroes” receive letters of commendation through the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program. The nomination form is available on Blue.
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered May 3-9
The National Postal Forum and an anime cosplayer made news
Last week, Link led with news from the National Postal Forum, which ran from May 3-6 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Arizona.
Postmaster General David Steiner delivered the keynote address, which celebrated the Postal Service’s storied past but looked squarely toward the future.
“The Postal Service is not just a public institution with a proud history. It is also an economic platform — one that has helped enable American commerce for generations, and one that still matters deeply to our country’s future,” he told the crowd.
The convention was also the site of the dedication for the organization’s new Route 66 stamps.
In other news, USPS announced a new set of Barbie stamps to be released in July; Fiona Machado was named acting pricing and costing vice president: and the Stamp Out Hunger food drive took place May 9.
The organization released its second-quarter financial results, and in news from the USPS Office of Inspector General, a former Georgia letter carrier was convicted for their part in a pandemic fraud scheme.
The “Off the Clock” column spotlighted Alex Wood, a retail associate in Belvue, KS, who cosplays their favorite anime characters at fan conventions; the People column offered snapshots of several employees sharing their knowledge at the National Postal Forum; and we spotlighted a cancer nonprofit that considers USPS a vital partner in its mission to send wigs and care packages to patients.
Finally, “Heroes” told the story of Kyle Quillen, a city carrier assistant in Haddonfield, NJ, who saw a fire break out at a residence.
Quillen called 911, rushed to the house, and jumped over a fence to bring a mother, child and dog to safety.
Paramedics treated mother and child for smoke inhalation.
Email us your feedback. Your comments could be included in our “Mail” column.
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USPS reports second-quarter financial results
Total operating revenue was $20.2 billion
-
History
This letter carrier received the Medal of Honor
-
Heroes
He helped a family and their dog escape a fire
-
Week in Review
Here’s what Link covered May 3-9
The National Postal Forum and an anime cosplayer made news