Mailers Council: Postal Productivity Improves, But Lags Private Sector
A study on U.S. Postal Service productivity shows that while the USPS has reversed its declining productivity trend in recent years, it has continued to fall behind private industry in improving productivity.The Mailers Council, the nation's largest coalition of mailers and mailing associations, commissioned the study, which updated results from a report published in 2000. The study, released yesterday, was developed by Direct Communications Group of Silver Spring, MD.
It states that the USPS will never keep up with private-sector productivity gains because of its current business model, size and financial burdens. Those burdens include pension liabilities, retiree healthcare, workers' compensation and debt.
It also said that in its current structure the USPS could improve productivity by shrinking the size of its work force and mail-processing network, improving its use of technology, investing in a new capital improvements program and streamlining transportation management.
