New Hampshire and Connecticut will outpace the rest of New England in terms of economic growth during the next few years, with Connecticut leading the pack. That’s the word from University of New Hampshire professor Ross Gittell, who presented his annual economic outlook for New England in mid-May at the spring conference of the New England Economic Partnership.

According to Gittell, the New England regional economy will continue to grow, albeit at a slower rate than the last half of the 1990s.

As for Connecticut and New Hampshire, Gittell expects the two states to lead the regional economy through 2010. Connecticut will experience growth in per capita income, while New Hampshire will see overall economic and employment growth. Gittell also expects New Hampshire to lead the region in employment growth.

“In the region, total employment is forecasted to grow above the U.S. average in only one state, New Hampshire. In the Granite State, employment is expected to grow at 1.4 percent per annum compared to the U.S. average of 1.3 percent per year,” Gittell said at the conference.