PORTLAND, Maine - The personal income of Maine residents grew 1.4 percent in the first quarter of this year.
The increase was the second-highest in the U.S., and above the national average for personal income growth of 1.1 percent in the first quarter.
Three elements go into the personal income figures: wages people earn, interest and dividends, and benefits received from government, called transfer receipts.
Those transfer receipts increased most in the first quarter, growing by 2.2 percent. Earnings were up 1.3 percent, dividends and interest grew by just half a percent.
