Before the pandemic hit, Mainers personal income was on the rise. That's according to federal Bureau of Economic Analysis, which reported Tuesday that Mainers' personal income rose 3.1% in the first quarter of this year. That was the biggest percentage gain in personal income in New England and tenth best in the U.S.
A big driver was the category of "transfer receipts." They rose 13.3 percent in the quarter, thanks to an increase in federal Social Security payments, state unemployment benefits, Medicaid payments and refundable tax credits.
