How Will the U.S. Postal Service’s Impending Cutbacks Affect You?

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Karen Bleier / AFP / Getty Images

You’ll barely feel it — unless you’re a postal worker.

The U.S. Postal Service announced a “new reality” of snail mail. It said it will dramatically cut costs that could result in $3 billion savings per year, which the general public will have to suffer through by getting their first-class mail a day later than normal.

So now, instead of taking one to three days to arrive, first-class mail will take two to three days to be delivered.

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In order to achieve its financial goals, USPS will close about half of its processing and distribution facilities, reduce processing equipment by about half, get rid of some delivery trucks and lose 35,000 of its workforce. Officials said the agency hopes to avoid layoffs, instead relying on retirements and resignation to reduce employees over time. 

If everything goes as planned, these measures could help the Postal Service become profitable again by 2015.

But more changes are on the horizon. Congress is considering bills that could give USPS the option of ending Saturday delivery service and closing post offices based on market conditions. The bills could also lessen the amount it has to pay per year into federal retirement, health care and workers’ compensation funds.

USPS has also said first-class postage costs might go up next year from its current $0.44. NewsFeed saw that one coming.

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