A fleet of USPS delivery trucks at a Portland, Oregon mail processing facility. The Postal Service’s vast network struggles to keep pace amid mounting delays.
Americans nationwide have grown increasingly anxious about late mail and unreliable delivery from the U.S. Postal Service. In the past few years, letters and packages that once arrived in a few days now often show up late – or not at all – as the USPS grapples with delivery delays and service problems on a historic scale. These issues did not emerge overnight. A combination of recent crises and long-brewing challenges have strained the USPS, undermining its performance and testing public trust. This report examines how mail service deteriorated, the factors behind the slowdown, and what is being done to fix it, all in a fact-based, nonpartisan manner.
Declining Delivery Performance (2020–2025)
Postal delivery times have dropped well below historical norms in recent years. In 2019, about 92% of First-Class Mail was delivered on time. But in 2020—amid the COVID-19 pandemic and operational upheaval—on-time performance fell to 87%. The holiday season was especially rough: by December 2020, only 69% of First-Class mail met on-time targets, meaning nearly one-third of mail was late. Some regions saw an even more dramatic collapse. In New York City, for example, on-time mail delivery plunged to just 48% during April 2020. Such figures were virtually unheard of in the modern Postal Service, where 90%-plus on-time delivery had long been standard.
Those delays continued into 2021, even after the election mail surge subsided. In the first quarter of 2021, roughly one in five pieces of mail nationwide was arriving late. Only about 78% of First-Class Mail was delivered on time in early 2021, down sharply from over 92% in early 2020. The Postal Service’s own data showed first-quarter 2021 performance was as poor as the worst months of 2020’s holiday backlog. Notably, mail volume had dropped after the holidays, yet delivery did not speed up—a sign that deeper structural problems were at play.
“It’s disappointing, and it’s quite low by historic standards,” one postal policy expert said of the slipping performance. Millions of Americans felt the impact: bills and rent checks in the mail took longer, prescription medications were delayed, and essential documents languished in transit.
USPS leaders have acknowledged the service crisis. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy—who took office in June 2020—conceded that delivery “stumbles” drew scrutiny and vowed to improve service. By mid-2021, there were modest signs of improvement. The Postal Service reported overall First-Class on-time delivery was back up to 88% by May 2021. However, this was still below pre-pandemic levels and well under the agency’s traditional targets of 95% on-time delivery.
In fact, USPS leadership quietly set lower performance targets for 2021, effectively redefining “on time” to reflect the new normal of slower mail. They aimed for 87% on-time for two-day mail and 80% for three-to-five-day mail—far below previous goals. In the second quarter of 2021, USPS managed only 58% on-time delivery for 3–5 day mail, underscoring how far service had fallen.
By 2022, delivery times began to rebound closer to normal—partly due to operational adjustments and congressional relief. The Postal Service ended fiscal year 2022 with about 91% of First-Class Mail delivered on time, up from 82.7% in FY2021. Average delivery speed improved to 2.5 days for a First-Class letter. USPS touted these gains as evidence that its reforms were working.
Critics note, however, that the service standards themselves were relaxed in 2021—giving USPS more days to deliver certain mail—so higher on-time percentages don’t necessarily mean faster mail, just that USPS is meeting its adjusted goals. In other words, some of the “improvement” came from officially slowing down the mail and then hitting the new targets.
Heading into 2024–2025, postal officials claim they are continuing to make progress and “drive towards 95 percent on-time” again. But many customers remain skeptical, as sporadic delivery problems persist and on-time performance still dips during peak seasons. The data makes one thing clear: the USPS has not fully regained its former reliability, even as it slowly climbs out of the deep hole of 2020.
Why Is the Mail Slower? Key Factors
Multiple factors converged to undermine USPS reliability. Some are long-term challenges decades in the making; others erupted suddenly in 2020. Together they created a perfect storm of postal problems. Here are some of the major contributors:
Pandemic Disruptions and Surging Volume
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had an immediate, seismic impact on postal operations. As the virus spread, large numbers of postal workers fell ill or quarantined, leading to staffing shortages. Simultaneously, Americans dramatically shifted their behavior—sending fewer letters but ordering many more packages while stuck at home. In 2020, total mail volume dropped 9%, yet package shipments jumped 32% to record levels. Parcels are more labor-intensive to sort and deliver than letters, and this “avalanche” of packages overwhelmed the system. By December 2020, the holiday rush combined with COVID absences caused massive backlogs—nationwide on-time delivery plummeted to 69% that month. The Postal Service itself admitted that record package volume plus pandemic staffing issues significantly affected on-time performance in 2020. The crush of election mail in fall 2020 added to the strain, though that spike was temporary. In short, the pandemic created extraordinary volume and workforce challenges that pushed an already-precarious system past its breaking point.
Operational Changes and Management Decisions
At the same time, USPS leadership implemented cost-cutting measures that further slowed the mail. Shortly after taking the helm in June 2020, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy ordered a series of operational changes aimed at efficiency—but which postal workers say caused severe delays. Starting in July 2020, USPS began removing hundreds of high-speed mail sorting machines, curtailing overtime, and banning late transportation trips that previously ensured all mail for the day went out. Letter carriers were told to leave mail behind rather than make extra trips to deliver it. These directives, implemented in the middle of the pandemic, led to piles of unsorted mail and delivery slowdowns across the country. Multiple federal courts intervened, issuing orders in fall 2020 to block USPS from continuing these practices ahead of the election. Under public and legal pressure, DeJoy announced a suspension of the controversial changes in August 2020 until after the election. However, by then the damage was done—USPS “never recovered” from the initial disruption, according to postal officials. Although the agency tried to undo some changes, lingering effects combined with COVID surges meant delays persisted into 2021.
DeJoy has defended his actions as necessary for cost control, but admitted USPS’s network had “long-standing challenges” that were exposed during this period. In 2021, he unveiled a 10-year strategic plan calling for further operational reforms—including permanently slower delivery standards for about 40% of First-Class Mail. The plan proposed extending standard delivery windows by 1–2 days for long-distance mail, effectively accepting slower service in exchange for efficiency (for example, shifting more mail from air transport to cheaper ground transport). That idea drew over 80,000 public comments in opposition and resistance from unions and many lawmakers. DeJoy argued the old delivery targets were unrealistic; critics said the Postal Service was betraying its mission. Ultimately, USPS did proceed with lowering some delivery standards in October 2021, lengthening delivery times for certain mail. This management-driven change is one reason USPS can now hit 90% “on-time”—because “on time” has been redefined to be slower. The net result of these operational decisions has been a system that, for now, prioritizes cost savings over speed, contributing to a new normal of more gradual mail service.
Funding Constraints and the 2006 Law
Beneath the recent turmoil lies a deeper financial crisis decades in the making. The USPS has been on the Government Accountability Office’s high-risk list for financial viability since 2009, as rising costs and falling mail volumes made it increasingly hard to cover expenses. A major turning point came with the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006, a law that imposed unique financial burdens on the Postal Service. PAEA required USPS to pre-fund retiree health benefits 75 years into the future, mandating roughly $5.5 billion in payments annually. No other public or private entity faced such a mandate, and it swiftly pushed USPS into the red. Between 2007 and 2016, USPS lost $62.4 billion; an estimated 87% of those losses were due to the retiree benefits prefunding requirement. By 2012, the Postal Service could no longer afford the payments and began defaulting on them, but the damage to its balance sheet was done. The 2006 law also capped postage rate increases at the inflation rate, limiting USPS’s ability to raise revenue.
These congressional mandates crippled USPS’s finances, forcing the agency into a cycle of cost-cutting to conserve cash. The lack of capital has meant aging equipment and infrastructure, from a delivery truck fleet decades old to antiquated sorting machines. It also fueled aggressive downsizing moves—USPS closed dozens of mail processing plants and slowed delivery standards in 2015 to save money, even before DeJoy’s tenure. Many observers cite the PAEA as a prime example of well-intended legislation gone wrong: it worsened USPS’s financial crisis and, by extension, its service quality. The Postal Service’s struggles to fund operations and invest in upgrades under this mandate set the stage for the recent reliability problems.
Labor and Staffing Challenges
The Postal Service is one of the nation’s largest employers, with roughly 640,000 workers, most of them career union employees. Managing such a massive workforce has long been a challenge. Personnel costs make up the bulk of USPS expenses, and labor relations can directly impact service. In the 2010s, as mail volumes declined and losses mounted, USPS downsized through attrition and offered buyouts, shrinking its career workforce. At the same time, it increasingly relied on part-time or non-career employees in some roles to reduce costs.
Going into 2020, staffing levels in many postal facilities were already lean. When the pandemic hit, employee availability plummeted due to illness and quarantine, and overtime alone couldn’t bridge the gap. In hard-hit areas, post offices simply lacked enough hands to process the influx of packages, and mail began to pile up. DeJoy’s initial cost-cutting moves, such as eliminating extra trips and limiting overtime, exacerbated the problem—postal workers were told to do less with less, exactly when demand was surging.
Morale suffered as carriers and clerks became overwhelmed and received public blame for delays beyond their control. By early 2021, USPS acknowledged it had to hire thousands of workers to handle the package load and backfill absences. However, hiring and training new staff takes time, and retention is difficult when working conditions are stressful. The Postal Service has since announced plans to reduce its workforce through attrition by tens of thousands over the coming years as part of its reform plan, even as it tries to stabilize service. Postal unions have pushed back against cuts, arguing that understaffing and overworked employees are a root cause of poor service. They’ve called for better pay and working conditions to attract and keep workers, especially as package delivery (which is labor-intensive) becomes a larger part of USPS’s mission. In sum, labor issues—from pandemic absences to structural staffing shortages—have played a significant role in the delivery delays Americans experienced.
Aging Infrastructure and Technology
The USPS traces its roots to 1775, and while it has continually modernized, much of its infrastructure is outdated. The iconic white and blue mail trucks (Grumman LLVs) are over 30 years old on average—prone to breakdowns and lacking modern safety or efficiency features. Mail sorting technology also lagged: the Postal Service was in the process of phasing out some letter sorting machines (due to declining letter mail) when the 2020 package boom hit, leaving some facilities ill-equipped for the shift in mail mix.
Facility infrastructure has been another issue. In pursuit of cost savings, USPS consolidated or closed many mail processing centers in the 2010s, which lengthened the distance mail must travel for sorting. That consolidation may have improved efficiency on paper, but it reduced the network’s resilience—when one node gets backed up, there are fewer alternatives. During the 2020 crush, some remaining processing hubs became choke points with trailers of mail sitting idle in parking lots because the inside floors were full.
Postal leadership has since recognized the need for investment: the 10-year plan includes purchasing a new fleet of delivery vehicles and upgrading package sorting equipment. DeJoy has touted “modernizing the network” and deploying more technology and automation to handle packages. But years of underinvestment mean USPS is playing catch-up. For customers, the visible impact of infrastructure woes might be a local post office that closes early due to short staffing, a tracking system that doesn’t update, or a mail truck that breaks down on the route. These behind-the-scenes weaknesses in the USPS’s physical plant and technology have contributed to its struggle to provide consistent, timely service in recent years.
Political and Legislative Crossroads
The Postal Service’s problems have become a charged political issue, with both parties trading blame for the agency’s woes. In truth, responsibility for USPS’s condition spans both sides of the aisle over many years. Congress and the White House play critical roles in overseeing (and sometimes hindering) postal operations, from major legislation to appointments of postal leadership.
One major legislative factor was the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, passed by a Republican-led Congress and signed by President George W. Bush. That law imposed heavy financial mandates that put USPS in a bind. At the time, it passed with unanimous consent in the Senate and a voice vote in the House—meaning it had broad bipartisan support and little debate, a fact later lamented by lawmakers who felt its impacts.
In the ensuing years, Democrats and Republicans alike were slow to address the growing financial crisis at USPS. Some GOP lawmakers argued the Postal Service should tighten its belt and operate more like a business, while some Democrats pushed for relief from Congress. But no consensus reform came for over a decade. The result was a mounting debt—over $160 billion by 2019—and deferred investments that set the stage for today’s service issues.
Then came the tumultuous Trump era. President Donald Trump frequently criticized the Postal Service’s finances, complaining it undercharged big shippers and even calling it a “joke.” He resisted emergency funding for USPS during the pandemic. In 2020, as COVID ravaged USPS and the agency warned it might run out of cash, the Trump administration balked at Democratic proposals to provide a $25 billion postal rescue as part of relief legislation. Trump explicitly stated he opposed additional USPS funds because he believed expanded mail-in voting would harm him politically. “They aren’t approving funding,” Trump said of Democrats, effectively pinning USPS’s troubles on the other party even as his administration blocked aid.
Democrats, for their part, accused Trump and his appointees of sabotaging the Postal Service. In August 2020, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted what they called an “all-out assault on the Postal Service” by Trump and his allies, alleging it was aimed at undermining the election. This war of words played out in hearings and the media, with Democrats highlighting removed mailboxes and dismantled sorting machines as evidence of foul play, and Republicans countering that USPS needed an overhaul and was plagued by inefficiency. The heated rhetoric showed how a normally staid agency had become a political lightning rod.
At the center was Louis DeJoy, the new Postmaster General appointed by a Trump-appointed USPS Board of Governors. A former logistics executive and major Republican donor, DeJoy implemented rapid cost-cutting upon arrival in 2020. Democrats vilified him for the delivery declines, at one point even calling for his removal. DeJoy testified to Congress in August 2020, facing sharp questioning about mail delays and whether he was intentionally undermining mail voting. He denied any partisan motive and defended his actions as common-sense efficiency measures.
Still, DeJoy became a focal point of controversy, with many Democrats urging President Joe Biden to replace him. However, the President cannot fire the Postmaster General directly; only the USPS Board of Governors can. Biden moved to reshape the board by appointing new members more aligned with postal reform. By late 2021, a Democratic-majority board was in place, yet they did not oust DeJoy—in part because his financial turnaround plan had support from some bipartisan board members. DeJoy has since said he intends to remain in office and work with the new board on implementing his 10-year plan.
On the legislative front, a breakthrough finally came in 2022. After years of debate, Congress passed the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022 with overwhelming bipartisan majorities. Signed by President Biden in April 2022, the law relieves USPS of the onerous prefunding mandate from 2006 and integrates future retirees into Medicare, saving an estimated $27 billion over 10 years. It also codifies six-day mail delivery and requires an online public dashboard showing delivery times, to increase transparency and accountability.
“This bill, 15 years in the making, will finally help the Postal Service overcome burdensome requirements that threaten their ability to provide reliable service,” said Senator Gary Peters, a lead sponsor. Officials warned that without this reform, USPS could have run out of cash by 2024. The bipartisan urgency reflected broad agreement that the Postal Service needed a lifeline.
Still, the bill had detractors: a number of Republican senators complained about potential costs to taxpayers (for instance, the government assumes certain retiree health liabilities) and the speed of the bill’s passage. Overall, though, the 2022 law was hailed as a necessary course-correction, lifting the prefunding albatross and shoring up USPS’s finances to prevent a collapse.
Even after the reform, political tensions persist over how USPS should operate. DeJoy’s strategic plan—which includes service cuts like reduced hours at some post offices and higher postage rates—remains a point of contention. Some Democrats worry that slower mail impacts those who rely on faster delivery times for things like prescription drugs, and have pressed USPS to reconsider elements of the plan.
Postal unions and many Democrats support the financial reforms but oppose measures they see as degrading service, such as plant consolidations or pricing changes. Many Republicans, meanwhile, emphasize that USPS must stick to the path of cost reduction and not become a perpetual burden on taxpayers. They point out that even with the 2022 changes, USPS still lost $4.9 billion in 2021 (though down from $9 billion in 2020), and argue further tough decisions are needed to get the agency in the black.
The push and pull between treating the Postal Service as a public service versus a self-sustaining business is a long-running ideological battle. It’s a debate that flares at times—such as when a presidential task force in 2018 floated privatizing parts of USPS, or when lawmakers argue over closing post offices in rural areas—but ultimately, both parties recognize the political peril in letting the mail fail. Americans across red and blue states rely on USPS, so politicians on both sides have strong incentives to get it right.
Public and Congressional Reactions
The mail delays of 2020–2021 did not go unnoticed by the American public—in fact, they sparked an outcry nationwide. Frustrated customers flooded USPS and elected officials with complaints. In fiscal year 2020, the Postal Service received 10.7 million customer complaints, nearly 70% of which concerned missing or delayed packages. That represents a huge surge in complaints compared to prior years, as people grew anxious about medications arriving late or checks lost in the mail.
Social media amplified personal stories of postal problems, with images of stacks of backlogged mail and removed blue collection boxes going viral. Grassroots campaigns like “Save USPS” popped up, urging support for postal workers and protesting changes. The USPS—an institution often taken for granted—suddenly became a hot topic of conversation and even protest in 2020.
Small business owners who depend on mail deliveries warned that shipping delays were hurting their bottom line. Veterans and the elderly voiced fears about not receiving prescriptions on time. And voters expressed alarm about whether absentee ballots would be delivered in time for elections.
Congress took notice and sprang into action with oversight. In August 2020, as complaints mounted, Congressional hearings were convened to grill postal leadership. DeJoy was called before the Senate and House in back-to-back hearings, where lawmakers demanded answers for the decline in service. In one tense exchange, Senators pressed DeJoy on reports of sorting machines being dismantled and mailboxes removed; he acknowledged the equipment reductions and said he had “no intention” of restoring them, which did little to assuage critics.
Lawmakers from rural areas—including Republicans—raised alarms about constituents going weeks without mail. The issue truly cut across party lines at the local level, even if national politics were polarized. House Democrats passed a USPS funding bill in late August 2020 to inject $25 billion and reverse any service changes, and while it stalled in the Senate, it sent a message.
Throughout 2021, congressional oversight continued. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which has jurisdiction over USPS, pressed for updates on delivery performance and for DeJoy to detail his 10-year reform plan. Some Democratic representatives went so far as to introduce proposals to remove the entire USPS Board of Governors so that DeJoy could be replaced—an extraordinary political intervention in postal governance that ultimately did not advance.
Meanwhile, Republican legislators used hearings to emphasize the need for USPS to operate efficiently and not simply receive blank-check bailouts. They often cited the postal unions and workforce costs as areas needing reform and cautioned that pouring in taxpayer money without structural fixes would be unwise.
Public pressure also manifested in the form of protests and advocacy by postal employees and allies. Postal worker unions—including the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)—organized rallies to draw attention to the crisis. In 2020, caravans of postal workers circled postal facilities and honked in protest of the cuts, and union leaders delivered millions of petition signatures to Washington demanding Congress save the USPS.
These unions have been vocal in defending what they call “the universal service we provide, and every citizen who relies on the Postal Service.” In early 2025, the NALC staged a rally on Capitol Hill warning against any efforts to dismantle or privatize the agency, framing it as “a direct attack on 640,000 postal employees and… one of our nation’s oldest and most beloved institutions.” The crowd of letter carriers and supporters shouted “Hell no!” to any proposal to degrade mail service.
Such events underline that public sentiment towards USPS remains broadly supportive—people may be upset with poor service, but they value the institution and want it fixed, not gutted. Polls consistently show USPS is one of the most trusted federal entities, and Congress faces pressure from constituents to ensure mail delivery improves.
In response to the turmoil, the USPS has taken steps to be more transparent and accountable. Under the 2022 reform law, it launched a public performance dashboard so customers and officials can monitor weekly delivery metrics in each region. The Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent overseer, has also increased scrutiny of service standards and required USPS to report causes of failures.
While these measures don’t speed the mail directly, they do keep a spotlight on the issue. For example, during the 2022 holiday season, USPS touted that it delivered over 11 billion items with an average of 2.5 days in transit, trying to rebuild confidence with positive stats. Yet, when service slips—such as an unexpected delay spike in a given district—it now quickly becomes public via the dashboard or news reports, prompting customer complaints and often a response from local postal managers.
Ultimately, the public and congressional reaction has helped drive reforms. The loud complaints and high-profile hearings of 2020–2021 created momentum that contributed to the bipartisan passage of the 2022 postal reform law. They also likely influenced USPS to roll back or modify some contentious operational policies. Going forward, Americans are not shy about voicing concerns when mail service falters—and elected officials know it. The Postal Service is now under perhaps greater public scrutiny than at any time in decades, and there is a broad consensus that timely, reliable mail delivery is a fundamental expectation.
Can USPS Deliver?
As of 2025, the United States Postal Service is in cautious recovery. Service has improved since the lows of 2020, thanks to operational reforms, congressional action, and targeted investments. USPS is no longer on the brink of financial collapse, and efforts are underway to modernize its vehicle fleet and adapt its network to the demands of e-commerce.
Freed from the burden of the 2006 prefunding mandate, USPS now has more flexibility to focus on service. The agency projects short-term financial stability, and public scrutiny remains high—ensuring that future decisions are met with both support and accountability.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year plan, “Delivering for America,” calls for cost-cutting, facility consolidation, and $40 billion in modernization. It aims to reverse what he describes as a “death spiral” of losses. Yet, concerns persist: will delivery standards continue to decline? Will rural service suffer? These questions will likely define the coming years.
Congressional oversight remains key. Though the 2022 reform law was a major step, lawmakers may need to revisit additional policies—such as postage rates or expanded services—to strengthen USPS without compromising its mission.
What’s clear is that the Postal Service still matters. Even in a digital age, millions rely on it for prescriptions, legal documents, and election ballots. Its reach—from cities to the most remote corners of the country—makes it a vital public institution. USPS has faced many storms in its 250-year history. Whether it can meet modern challenges depends on its ability to adapt—while keeping public trust intact.
If current reforms take hold, the Postal Service could emerge more efficient, resilient, and ready for the next generation. If not, the public and policymakers will be watching—and expecting answers.
Sources: The analysis above is based on data from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, USPS performance reports, and congressional testimony. Key statistics on mail delays and volumes come from GAO findings gao.gov, cbsnews.com and USPS filings govexec.com. Information on operational changes and their impacts is drawn from court records and oversight letters baldwin.senate.gov, govexec.com. Historical context on the 2006 law and USPS finances is documented in USPS Inspector General reports and Congressional Research Service summaries. Details on the 2020 crisis and political responses are reported by NPR, npr.org, npr.org and other news outlets. Customer complaint figures come from GAO’s audit of USPS’s complaint process, gao.gov. Legislative updates regarding the 2022 postal reform are sourced from NPR coverage and official statements, npr.org, npr.org. The direct quotations from union leaders and members of Congress are included to provide perspective from stakeholders, postaltimes.com. All information has been presented in a neutral, fact-focused manner to inform readers about the challenges facing the USPS and the efforts underway to address them. The full citations and references are available in the text above for further reading and verification.