USPS Office of Inspector General

For many rural residents, mail is a lifeline, providing connections with government, commerce, and each other. The local post office offers a community a sense of identity as well as a retail hub that serves a central role, even as rural populations continue to decline. It’s not just an American thing: post offices function similarly in rural communities around the globe.

For many international posts, rural networks may lose money. How they’ve dealt with that can provide lessons for the U.S. Postal Service.

If you’re facing a decision – especially a big one – you want to have all the facts so you can make the best choice. It’s also true for organizations, including the U.S. Postal Service. But in one area, as our recent audit found, postal executives may not be getting all the facts they need. In some cases, they’re not getting facts at all.

Retirement liabilities continue to play a starring role in the short- and long-term financial health of the U.S. Postal Service.

Package visibility is important to consumers, as many ecommerce surveys indicate. “Real-time tracking” often tops lists of consumers’ preferred features.

The health and safety of U.S. Postal Service employees and customers is a priority. Over the past few years, our office has done a series of audits to determine if USPS management is adhering to building safety, maintenance, and security standards at its facilities.