CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming's personal income is growing for the first time since mid-2015.

Personal income grew 1.1 percent in the first quarter of 2017 over the last quarter of 2016.

State economist Jim Robinson says the increase doesn't necessarily mean Wyoming's economic problems are over, but it does signal that the state is recovering.

Robinson says it's the first time Wyoming's personal income has increased since the July-September period of 2015.

Personal income includes wages, dividends and interest and government benefits such as Social Security. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis says nationwide, personal income grew by 1 percent in the first quarter. The Rocky Mountain region, which includes Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, grew 1.1 percent.

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