Report: Personal income registers slowdown

ACROSS MISSISSIPPI — Mississippi joined 40 other states in registering a slowdown in personal income during the third quarter.

The federal Bureau of Economic Analysis said today that personal income in the state, in comparison with the second quarter, grew 0.4 percent. Mississippi’s personal income grew 1.7 percent during the second quarter.

Much of the drop is blamed on income declines in construction, real estate and government and weak growth in the finance sector.

Personal income is the sum of all income from all sources. It includes wages after taxes, investment income, rental income, retirement payments and government payments.

Over the United States, personal income grew 0.7 percent during the third quarter, a slowdown from 1.4 percent in the second quarter. The southeastern region, including Mississippi and 11 other states, recorded an increase of 0.2 percent during the third quarter — down from 1.4 percent in the second quarter.