WASHINGTON — The federal government ran a $56.8 billion budget deficit in November, the Treasury Department reported Wednesday.
The November deficit followed a $121.7 billion deficit in October and was smaller than the median $75 billion deficit projected by economists polled by Thomson Reuters.
A Treasury official said November last had a surplus in 1954. There are no major tax due dates in the month, the official said.
Outlays in November totaled $248.3 billion, compared to $334.4 billion in October. Receipts totaled $191.4 billion in November, compared to $212.7 billion for the previous month.
In November 2013, the government ran a $135.2 billion deficit.
Fiscal year to date, there was a $178.5 billion deficit, compared to a $226 billion deficit for the same period last year. The federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1.
Year-over-year changes to November and year-to-date results were impacted by timing-related transactions, Treasury said. Taking into account calendar adjustments, the November 2014 deficit would have been $92 billion, $8 billion less than the deficit in November 2013. The fiscal-year-to-date deficit through November 2014 would have been $177 billion, $14 billion less than the adjusted deficit through November 2013.
