WASHINGTON — The federal government ran a $190.5 billion budget deficit in August after posting an unrevised $69.6 billion deficit the previous month, the Treasury Department reported Thursday.
The August deficit represents a 42% rise from the $134.1 billion gap in August 2011, and was significantly larger than the $155 billion deficit estimated by economists polled by Thomson Reuters.
Outlays totaled $369.4 billion, a 22% decrease from the $302.9 billion in August 2011.
Receipts were $178.9 billion, a 6% bump from $169.2 billion a year ago.
For the fiscal year to date, the government's deficit is $1.16 trillion. That is down $70 billion, or 6%, from the $1.23 trillion deficit through the same point in fiscal 2011.
