Personal income growth soars in state

Washington workers enjoyed faster income growth during the second-quarter months of 2007 than people in every state except Utah, according to federal statistics released Thursday.

The state’s economy is strong, unemployment low and wages grew 1.76 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported.

Idaho’s personal income growth sagged by comparison, as the state’s rate was 0.9 percent, ranking it 43rd in the country.

The bureau found that the personal incomes of Americans rose 1.2 percent during the April-May-June period following a strong 2.5 percent rate of income growth during the first three months of the year.

Personal income is all money received by all people, including for example, income from pay, bonuses, and interest.

Washington’s total personal income grew 7.2 percent from the second quarter of 2006 through the second quarter of 2007, ranking Washington ninth among states.

The nation’s income growth overall was 6.36 percent during the same 12-month period.