U.S. Debt Sales Surge Along with Deficit

The U.S. Treasury Department put up 83 billion in debt sales last November, a level not approached since the height of the Great Recession. This time around bond sales are the product of a growing budget deficit, not a massive government stimulus amid a failing economy. Despite an economy that experienced major growth and low unemployment last year, tax cuts, spending hikes, and an aging population are driving the Treasury to hike up the bond sales.

More U.S. debt is also being put up for sale as the Fed lets its 4.2 trillion-dollar Recession era balance sheet to shrink. The strengthened economy has allowed the central bank to take a back seat in aiding the market, allowing the public to step in and buy more bonds.