Mail is Big Business

Mail is

big business

The U.S. Postal Service is the core of the nation’s $1.6 trillion mailing industry, which employs more than 7.3 million people.

* | Tags: People Size & scope USPS Fact #108 | March 17, 2023

The U.S. Postal Service is the core of the nation’s $1.6 trillion mailing industry, which employs more than 7.3 million people.*

These types of mail brought in most of the $77 billion in operating revenue in 2021:

  • First-Class Mail — $23.3 billion
  • Marketing Mail — $14.6 billion
  • Shipping and Package Services — $32 billion
  • International — $2.2 billion
  • Periodicals — $942 million

If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 43rd in the 2021 Fortune 500.

In the 2021 Global Fortune 500 list, the U.S. Postal Service ranked 123rd.

The Envelope Manufacturers Association Mailing Industry Job Study, 2019, reported that there are more than 7.3 million jobs and $1.58 trillion in revenue attributed to the mailing industry. More information can be found at envelope.org.