The United States Postal Service says there's a rumor going around that 40,000 employees will soon be laid off.

USPS reiterates this is just that -- a rumor.

According to a press release, the story started in Shreveport, La.

The story does quote a Postal Service spokesperson. Unfortunately, that spokesperson was in error. The Postal Service is not laying off employees. Efforts to match our workforce to a reduced workload are focused on voluntary early retirements.

USPS says voluntary retirement has been offered to a number of employees and 3,685 have accepted so far.