By Kate Davidson 

WASHINGTON -- The federal budget deficit widened slightly in November as government spending exceeded tax collections, the Treasury Department said Tuesday.

The budget shortfall rose to $139 billion last month, compared with a $137 billion deficit in November 2016, Treasury said. That tracks with an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office, which had predicted a $134 billion deficit last month.

Receipts rose 4% while outlays grew 3% last month compared with the same period a year earlier.

Through the first two months of the year, which began Oct. 1, the overall budget gap was about 11% larger compared with the same period a year earlier, Treasury said.

Write to Kate Davidson at kate.davidson@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 12, 2017 14:23 ET (19:23 GMT)