Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told Congress in a letter Thursday that the USPS aims to eliminate 10,000 jobs using a voluntary early retirement program over the next 30 days to reduce costs at the financially strapped U.S. Postal Service.
The USPS employs roughly 635,000 people. The retirement program was announced on Jan. 13.
DeJoy also confirmed that the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, is now working with USPS.
“Last night I signed an agreement with the General Services Administration and DOGE representatives to assist us in identifying and achieving further efficiencies,” he wrote.
The move is “seen as a way of making DOGE happy,” one person familiar with the plans tells CBS News.
DeJoy first met with DOGE representatives on Monday, this person said.
In the letter, DeJoy said DOGE would look into a handful of subjects including the Postal Regulatory Commission, which has oversight over the Postal Service. DeJoy called the commission “an unnecessary agency that has inflicted over $50 billion in damage to the Postal Service.”
In a statement responding to DeJoy, the commission called the postmaster general’s comments “false.”
“The Commission follows the law to ensure that USPS provides universal service to all Americans, including those in rural and remote locations, and also safeguards fair competition in package markets by preventing the Postal Service from abusing its monopoly position,” the commission said.
DeJoy recently announced plans to step down from the role he was appointed to by President Trump during his first term. The White House has yet to nominate a successor.
The Postal Service in November reported its annual loss broadened to nearly $10 billion in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2024.
Aaron Navarro
contributed to this report.
