EMA’s 2019 U.S. Mailing Industry Report Reinforces Economic Powerhouse of Mailing Industry; 7.3 Million Jobs and $1.58 Trillion in Sales Reinforces Strength of Industry in a Digital Era

January 28, 2020, Alexandria, VA – The EMA Foundation’s Institute for Postal Studies has released EMA’s 2019 U.S. Mailing Industry Economic Job Study which reveals that the overall impact of the U.S. Mailing Industry remains strong. The study determined that approximately 7.3 million jobs and $1.58 trillion in sales revenue were associated with the U.S. Mailing Industry in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available. This includes employment at the U.S. Postal Service and the broader business industry like printers, publishers, packaging delivery companies and paper manufacturers that rely on USPS as a supply chain partner. The U.S. Mailing Industry is the backbone of the American economy. Therefore, significant postal reforms are needed to ensure a viable U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and U.S. Mailing Industry. Ensuring predictable and affordable postage rates for mailers is a critical component of postal reform. This rate stability will encourage advertisers and businesses to use the mail, which is an effective tool for their return on investment, and to drive much needed postage revenues for USPS.

Key report findings include:

• The U.S. Mailing Industry’s 7.3 million jobs represent 4.6% of the nation’s total civilian labor force.
• The U.S. Mailing Industry’s $1.58 trillion in sales revenue to the U.S. economy in 2018 accounted for 4.3% of U.S. total output of $37.1 trillion.
• The U.S. Mailing Industry grew in revenue by $123.4 billion (9.5% gain) despite losing 209,288jobs (2.8% loss) during that same time period due to economic recovery and more packaged products being delivered through the mail stream.

Mailing industry revenue growth, combined with declining employment, points to growing industry productivity. “We are excited to release this report because it reinforces yet again how important the broader Mailing Industry is to the U.S. economy. Policies that have a dramatic influence on the USPS impact many workers. Over 5.8 million jobs or over 80% of mail industry jobs depend on the delivery infrastructure at which the USPS is the center.” says Cheryl Chapman, chairman of the EMA Foundation’s Institute for Postal Studies and product manager of International Paper Company. Peter Johnson, PhD, Principal, emergentMeasures Research, co-author of the study stated that “this study should surprise all who those who assume that digital is the only economic efficient media. With our study showing a jump in total sector revenues combined with a marked trimming of employment, the U.S. Mailing Industry is becoming a more efficient contributor to total U.S. output with each passing year.”This study analyzes the most recent information collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in its Occupation Employment Statistics program on employment by occupation and industry, the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Affairs. Jobs and economic activity associated with the Mailing Industry are grouped into three categories:

1. Public and private sector companies that create mail, deliver mail and parcels, and provide retail delivery services
2. Companies that send and receive mail & parcels as part of their everyday business operations
3. Companies that sell products using mail advertising or use the Mailing Industry to deliver their products

The study is available on the EMA Foundation’s website at www.envelope.org or you can contact the Foundation office at 703-739-2200 or Maynard Benjamin, President and CEO at mhbenjamin@envelope.org. EMA is the world’s largest association devoted exclusively to the envelope manufacturing and paper-based communications industry.