The Census Bureau today will release two reports showing the federal government paid out nearly $1.5 trillion for domestic benefits, subsidies, grants, goods, services and wages in fiscal 1998, an increase of about 3.4 percent over fiscal 1997.
"The main reasons for the increase were payments for disability and retirement, grants and procurement contracts," said Gerard Keffer, head of the bureau's federal programs branch.
The government distributed $507 billion in FY98 for disability and retirement payments, a 3.7 percent increase over FY97, while it made $403 billion in Social Security payments, a 3.9 percent increase over FY97.
California, with $162 billion, received the most federal funding, followed by New York, $100 billion; Texas, $92 billion; Florida, $84 billion; and Pennsylvania, $67 billion.
The reports, compiled from federal agency and department data, include breakdowns on the state and county levels.