Mail Delivery Could Soon Be Cut To Five Days Instead Of Six

The postmaster general told Congress that massive deficits could force the post office to cut out one day of mail delivery per week, CBS News reports. The postmaster asked lawmakers to lift the requirement that the agency deliver mail six days a week.

Faced with dwindling mail volume and rising costs, the post office was $2.8 billion in the red last year. Total mail volume was 202 billion items last year, more than nine billion less than the year before; the largest single volume drop in history.

There is no definite word whether the eliminated day would be Saturday. Previous studies have looked at the possibility of skipping some other day, such as Tuesday. A study done by George Mason University last year for the independent Postal Regulatory Commission estimated that going from six day to five day delivery would save the post office more than $1.9 billion annually, while a Postal Service study estimated the saving at $3.5 billion.

Despite the possible change in the number of delivery days, the next postal rate increase is still scheduled for May 2009.