Changes are coming to the United States Postal Service in April that will affect millions of customers across the country. The moves are designed to improve efficiency and cut costs, but some people might get certain mail slower.
Some parts of the plan have already started with an official start coming soon. The second phase of the plan is set to roll out later this year.
According to information released by USPS, the shifts will help save the organization $36 billion over a decade.
According to Pew Research Centers, the USPS is the second-most popular federal agency: 72% of Americans like it. The National Park Service outranked it with a 76% favorability rating. NASA came in third at 67%.
According to USPS, the organization relies on the sales of stamps and postage, its products and services to fund operations and usually does not get tax dollars for operating expenses. It’s independent, meant to be self-financing.
President Donald Trump is critical of the service, which delivers to 163 million addresses nationwide and employs 530,000 workers.
The agency has seen a sharp decline in first-class mail since electronic communication became more popular. It’s dropped 80% since 1997, and volumes are the lowest since 1968, according to Reuters reporting.
It lost $9.5 billion in 2024. USPS is expected to lose another $6.9 billion in 2025, according to reporting from Government Executive.
Trump aims to see it make a profit and has floated the idea of merging it with the Commerce Department. That would halt the USPS’s independent status and put it under his administration.
“It’ll be a form of a merger, but it’ll remain the Postal Service,” Trump said. “And I think it’ll operate a lot better than it has been over the years. It’s been just a tremendous loser for this country.”
The Washington Post, citing postal sources, said the plan would “probably violate federal law.”
It was part of a story, also reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources who said Trump planned to fire the governing board of the postal service via executive order. The White House said no such order existed, but Trump did confirm that merger was being considered.
Here’s what you need to know about confirmed changes to USPS services and mail delivery.
Postmaster strikes deal with DOGE, 10K jobs to be cut
In March, then-U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said he signed a deal with the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk.
The department had been exempt from DOGE cuts, but DeJoy reportedly told Congress in a letter that USPS would cut 10,000 jobs over the next month through a voluntary early retirement program.
The reduction plan was announced in January and is different than the federal employee buyout offer announced for most civilian federal employees. According to a news release from the American Postal Workers Union, workers who opt to retire early can get a one-time $15,000 incentive paid in two parts.
DeJoy said the deal with DOGE and the General Services Administration will help with “identifying and achieving further efficiencies.”
Will Trump merge USPS? What if he does?
Musk has said he wants to see it privatized.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has suggested that postal workers could carry out the U.S. census and handle tasks performed by Social Security employees as cost-cutting measures.
Newsweek reporting said the merger, if it goes through could close offices, slow delivery, increase costs and lead to layoffs. It also could hit rural areas hardest.
Postal workers rally after DOGE threatens to dismantle USPS
Thousands of people, including some in Erie, recently turned out to protest the cuts and proposals to dismantle the current system across the nation.
“We had an election in November, and some people voted for President Trump, and some people voted for Vice President Harris, some people voted for other candidates,” National Association of Letter Carriers President Brian Renfroe, said at a rally in Los Angeles. “But you know what none of them voted for? To dismantle the Postal Service.”
Social media posts showed rallies in several states, including major cities and Washington, D.C. Hashtags included #fightlikehell and #hellno.
How will the new changes affect mail in Pennslyvania?
The first round of changes started on April 1.
Some areas could get “2-3-day turnaround service within regions and specific local areas,” according to the postal service.
Some post offices could have delivery extended by a day. The information provided didn’t say which ones could expect delayed mail delivery caused by changes to regional transportation schedules.
“Under the new approach, while most mail will retain the same service standard, some mail will have a faster standard, and some will have a slightly slower standard. For First-Class Mail, the current service standard day range of 1-5 days is staying the same, while the day ranges for end-to-end Marketing Mail, Periodicals, and Package Services are being shortened. All Mail will benefit from more reliable service,” a USPS news release reads.
The postal service said, “all packages will benefit from more reliable service.” The 2-5 day range for USPS Ground Advantage will stay the same. However, some shipping product will have a slower delivery range going forward.
Five-digit zip code add-ons are meant to streamline sorting and delivery as compared the current three-digit pairs.
USPS already has a map online that will let customers see how long it will take to deliver mail from one zip code to another. Customers also can look up service standards at usps.com.
Service standards will be “refined” for:
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Package Services (Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail).
When will the next changes to the postal service happen?
The next changes are set to take effect on July 1. More information will be released closer to that date.
Could Trump privatize the postal service?
That would require congressional approval.
The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 made the postal service an independent agency under the executive branch. USPS is directed by a Board of Governors appointed by the president and approved by Congress.
The president can make nominations but doesn’t have direct oversight.
Contributing: George Petras, John Bacon, Phaedra Trethan, David Shepardson
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: USPS changes to affect mail delivery in PA. Why, when it starts
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