The US Postal Service (USPS) currently has an unsustainable business model, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The GAO says generous employee settlements are a big factor in this. Workers are being kept full-time with health and retirement benefits, despite mail volume going down by 17 per cent in the last 3 years. This amounts to 36 billion less pieces of mail.

Between 2007 and 2009, USPS announced losses of $12bn, despite cutting 84,000 jobs and raising the costs of sending letters and parcels to the USA.

Their latest money-saving idea involves cutting Saturday deliveries. This means that companies may need to send parcels via courier to the USA to ensure delivery if it is required the weekend.