Delaware LIVE News reached out to the U.S. Postal Service, and Paul F. Smith, a media representative for the Philadelphia region, responded quickly (on a Saturday, no less) with this answer:
“We are experiencing sporadic challenges with employee availability in some locations causing occasional impacts to mail deliveries,” he wrote. “Please note customers can always call 1-800-ASK-USPS with questions or concerns.”
Delaware LIVE News asked for specific numbers on staffing, but the question got no response.
However, Pennsylvanian Kathy Brady Shea shared some stark stats on Facebook.
“This morning, my husband decided to pay a visit to the actual post office, after efforts to contact a human by phone went nowhere. A worker explained that the postal manager for the West Chester region issued an edict recently to deal with the agency’s short staffing: surreptitiously skipping delivery days. She said the office needs 80 carriers to handle the load: It has 40. As a result, she said we should expect to see a delivery every 2 or 3 days.”