FIRST-CLASS MAIL CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE – FIRST-CLASS LETTERS NEAR 52-WEEK LOW FOR ON-TIME PERFORMANCE
In the week preceding the election, only 84.7% of First-Class letters were delivered on time, the worst performance since Christmas last year. They continued to show a steady decline in performance that started in September. Last year we did not see numbers like these until mid-December. As a point of reference, in the same week last year, 95.94% of First-Class letters were delivered on time. First-Class flats fared a little better but continued to perform markedly worse than the annual average.
Poor performance was spread over all four Postal areas, with the Atlantic area delivering only 81.6% of First-Class letters on time.
Marketing Mail letters and flats continue to perform consistently, with over 95% delivered within standards.
Some statistical anomalies may arise out of political mail, as our sample includes a lot of it. First-Class mail also travels greater distances in our sample – all commercial mail – so transportation issues may contribute.
