In this 17th annual survey, finishers indicate their level of confidence in the coming year, operating capacities, spending plans and more.
The economic picture in late November was brighter than in the previous 10 months and far better than analysts had predicted. The Commerce Department reported that the economy grew at an annualized rate of 8.2% in the third quarter, the fastest pace in nearly two decades. The Labor Department reported that third-quarter worker productivity rose 9.1% from the previous quarter, the largest increase since the second quarter of 1983. And the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index, after rebounding in October, rose again in November to 91.7, its highest level since the fall of 2002 and well ahead of the 85.0 analysts had predicted.