N.H. personal income rises 1.3%

Personal income in New Hampshire grew by 1.3 percent in the second quarter — faster than the national average but slower than the previous quarter — according to estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.Personal income in New Hampshire grew to $60.03 billion in the second quarter, a 1.3 percent increase from $59.24 billion in the first quarter.In the same period last year, state personal income was $57.66 billion, which was a 2.4 percent increase over the previous quarter.Elsewhere in New England, Massachusetts and Vermont led the pack with 1.4 percent growth; Connecticut and Rhode Island with 1.2 percent; and Maine pulled up the rear with 1.0 percent.The sectors that contributed most to the growth in second-quarter personal income were retail, health care and durable goods manufacturing.Nationally, state personal income growth slowed to 1.1 percent, on average, in the second quarter of 2011, down from 2.1 percent in the first quarter.The bureau said earnings in health care and professional services grew in all states in the second quarter. — KATHLEEN CALLAHAN/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW