JS_Harris - 12:11 pm on Jul 29, 2009 (gmt 0)

Mail use has been changing over the past decade as businesses and consumers have moved to electronic communication and payment alternatives. Mail volume decline has accelerated with the recession, particularly among major users in the advertising, financial, and housing sectors. Mail volume has typically returned after recessions (see figure), but USPS’s 5-year forecast suggests that much of the recent volume decline will not return.

[gao.gov...]

The GAO government site released a pdf format report with some startling graphs. The post office is in the same boat as newspaper publishers thanks to what is being called "new technologies", better known as email, cell phones and instant messaging.