Confidence in economy at highest level in more than decade: Gallup

American confidence in the U.S. economy is at its highest level since 2004, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.

Fifty-four percent of survey respondents said economic conditions were “excellent” or “good,” while only 12 percent said they were “poor.”

{mosads}A strong majority — 57 percent to 34 percent — said the economy is getting better rather than worse. That puts the Gallup Economic Confidence Index at plus 33, tying the level it hit in January 2004.

The last time it was higher was in November 2000, around the end of the dot-com boom, when it hit plus 39. The record high for the index is plus 56, from January 2000.

Americans also rated the job market positively in the most recent poll, conducted in October, when 68 percent of respondents said it is a good time to find a quality job. That figure tied a record high.

Gallup noted that positive sentiments toward the job market often follow low rates of unemployment. The U.S. jobless rate fell to a 49-year low of 3.7 percent in September, according to the Labor Department.

The Gallup poll was conducted Oct. 1-10 via phone with a random sample of 1,019 U.S. adults. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.