USPS keeps expanding package deals with private carriers like DHL while freezing its own hiring and travel.
Congress keeps complaining about slow cuts but blocks the big structural changes the agency says it needs.
Service standard changes and end of evening collections already hit thousands of post offices this year. More slowdowns baked in.
Financial plans still project multi billion losses every year with no end in sight without major reform.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy previously cut about 30,000 jobs since fiscal 2021 and 50 million work hours.
He planned another 10,000 reductions through voluntary early retirement in coordination with DOGE and GSA.
Current Postmaster General David Steiner told Congress in June 2026 the agency cut overall complement by 28,675 employees and 56 million work hours from FY 2021 to 2025.
2026 plan cuts another 12 million work hours.
Agency restricted non essential spending including hiring limits to only backfill authorized positions.
Suspended some retirement fund payments to stretch cash until at least 2031 2035.
Still losing billions every year. Net loss of 2 billion in second quarter 2026 after 9.5 billion loss in 2025.
Headcount around 363,000 in 2026, slight drop from prior years.
Review of 30,000 plus post office leases because half do not cover costs.
Delivery times already slower from earlier cuts.
Michigan Independent (DeJoy cuts and DOGE plans): https://michiganindependent.com/Infrastructure/postmaster-general-louis-dejoy-announces-plans-cuts-doge-postal-service-jobs-offices
NPR (Steiner testimony and cash crisis delay): https://www.npr.org/2026/06/24/nx-s1-5859334/us-postal-service-david-steiner
Official USPS testimony PDF (Steiner June 24 2026 hearing, workforce and work hour numbers): https://about.usps.com/newsroom/testimony-speeches/pdf/062426-pmg-steiner-hsgac-hearing-testimony.pdf