Federal budget deficit hits April record ...

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER
ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The federal budget deficit hit an all-time high for the month of April as government revenue fell sharply.

The Treasury Department says the April deficit soared to $82.7 billion, the largest imbalance for that month on record. That was significantly higher than last year's April deficit of $20 billion and was above the $30 billion deficit private economists had been forecasting.

The government normally runs surpluses in April as millions of taxpayers file their income tax returns. However, income tax payments were down this April, reflecting the impact of a severe recession which has pushed millions of people out of work.