
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, July 27, 1995                   TAG: 9507270050
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

PERSONAL INCOME RISES FASTER THAN INFLATION

Arkansas and Nebraska led the country in personal income gains during the first three months of this year, helped by a jump in federal subsidy payments to farmers, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

Virginia ranked 19th among the states, with a 1.9 percent increase between the end of 1994 and the first quarter of 1995.

For the nation, personal income increased 1.8 percent in the first quarter, more than double one measure of inflation tied to gross domestic product. The government said the inflation gauge rose a tame 0.7 percent, with 45 states posting income gains in excess of that rate.

Farm income soared 5.4 percent in the three-month period, helping to put some agriculture states among the leaders.

In the nine fastest-growing states, income gains were at least a half percentage point above the national average. Leading the way were Arkansas; 3.7 percent; Nebraska, 3.3 percent; and North Carolina, 2.6 percent.

The states with reduced incomes were North Dakota, Montana and South Dakota. Slow-growing states included Oklahoma and West Virginia.

Slow or negative-growth states had less farm income because of lower federal wheat subsidies, the Commerce Department said.

- Associated Press

by CNB