Postal Letter - How often does packages get lost in the mail by the united states postal service?

How often does packages get lost in the mail by the united states postal service?

Not often all the hundreds of packages I have sent out one was lost but found about 2 weeks later..that was to Louisiana. I got one in the post office right now that was shipped on the 23rd of October and still has not made it to upper state New York.. I am getting pretty paranoid about this one. I am hoping it arrives by next week.. parcel post doesn't take that long normally!
I have shipped and been shipped couple of hundred packages combined over the past 2 years (ebay seller and buyer). Only one got lost and I think that was stolen due to the carrier leaving the box on the floor under the mail box. But I have heard that it happens just been lucky not to have it happen to me. I did have another one that got damaged though in the past 2 years.
It is a rare thing and usually is a result of poor addressing by the sender or illegible writing. You should always PRINT the address and include a return address so that if there is a problem , it can be sent back to you for correction. It is also a good idea to include either the return address or the sending address inside with the contents. If for any reason the address on the outside became illegible, the department of the USPS that handles undeliverables would then be able to match the item with an address and get it on it's way.The dead mail center would not be needed as much if people would follow these simple helps to get their item delivered.
Very rarely. Far more common is their theft by the recipient.