U.S. Postal Service to Drop Saturday Mail in August

The U.S. Postal Service will announce the end of Saturday mail delivery this morning, according to Fox News.

"What's being reported is one of those things that we are looking at as another possible cost-cutting measure," said Michael Miles, spokesperson for the Atlanta District of the USPS. "So for now it's part of a study that we are looking at over the next five years to reduce our costs."

Saturday mail delivery will end in August. The move, which does not affect package delivery, is expected to save $2 billion annually, the report indicated.

CBS News reports the plan to shrink delivery from six days a week to five would only affect first-class mail, while packages, mail-order medicines, priority and express mail would still get delivered on Saturdays.

Last year Fayetteville postal employees gathered to picket outside the Green Street post office to protest the possible closing of Fayetteville's mail processing and distribution center and annex.

The loss of a local distribution center is said to slow up Fayetteville mail operations because mail would first be shipped to and from Raleigh or Charlotte. No word yet from local representatives on how this will affect postal employee paychecks in our area.

On Tuesday, The Huffington Post reported that Hallmark Cards, Inc. has hired lobbyists who will ask Congress to keep Saturday delivery and consider other cost-saving measures. According to the report, postal workers say the move could result in the loss of 80,000 jobs. 

"It's just another one of those things we are looking at too," said Miles.

Will the loss of Saturday mail delivery affect you? Tell us in comments.

Joni Hubred-Golden contributed to this report.