Like most states, Oklahoma saw its personal income drop last year, according to information released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, a branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Oklahoma’s personal income dropped 0.8 percent last year to $130.0 billion from $131.1 billion in 2008, according to the BEA.

Even with that drop, the state’s 2009 personal income percentage change ranked the 16th best in the nation.

Oklahoma’s personal income grew 1.2 percent in the fourth quarter, ranking it No. 6 for that period. Personal income began incrementally rising in the second quarter, with 0.1 percent growth followed by 0.2 percent growth in the third quarter.

Personal income is a comprehensive measure of the income received by all residents from all sources. In addition to wages and salaries, it includes employee pension and insurance funds, dividends and interest income, and other types of income, according to the BEA.

Nationwide, state personal income declined an average 1.7 percent last year. The annual percentage change in state personal income ranged from a drop of 4.8 percent in Nevada to a 2.1 percent gain in West Virginia, which was one of only six states that had an increase in 2009, according to the bureau.

By LAURIE WINSLOW World Staff Writer

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