CEOs share optimism for national economy

By Dave Berns

Wednesday, March 30, 2011 | 4:31 p.m.

Chief executives of the nation's largest companies are optimistic about the prospects for hiring and sales during the next six months, according to the results of a quarterly survey released today by the Business Roundtable.

Ninety-two percent of the executives surveyed said they expect their companies' sales to jump, while 62 percent expect a surge in capital spending.

The result: 52 percent anticipate increased hiring through the middle of the year. Just 29 percent of those surveyed during the first quarter of 2010 said they expected increased job levels within their companies.

The group's CEO Economic Outlook Index recorded a level of 113 for the quarter, its highest level since the creation of the index during the fourth quarter of 2002.

John Engler, president of The Business Roundtable and a former governor of Michigan, acknowledged that the economy still faces significant challenges, including the effect of higher gas prices on consumer spending, according to CNN Money.

"There is very good news in this survey, but it's not all sunny and blue skies," Engler said. "There are still lots of things to worry about."

The Business Roundtable is an association of chief executive officers of U.S. companies with an estimated $6 trillion in annual revenues and more than 13 million employees.