MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Monday, May 11, 2009 2:53 pm

The cost to mail a letter with the US Postal Service increases Monday by 2 cents to 44 cents. The USPS raised the price to mail a first-class letter to offset losses over the past year as more people use the service less. The service saw a $1.9 billion loss in the second quarter and lost more than $2.8 billion in 2008. In addition to the rate increase, the service has reduced work hours in order to save money. It also plans to consolidate excess capacity in mail processing and transportation networks, realign carrier routes, halt construction of new postal facilities, freeze Postal Service officer and executive salaries at 2008 pay levels, reduce travel budgets and other similar measures.