Our monthly economic confidence meter took a sudden and somewhat surprising jump this month, owing perhaps to the relatively mild recovery in the stock markets in August. All three categories finished about half a point higher than last month, with the score for CIOs' confidence in the chance for a recovery in the overall economy in the next three months climbing to 5.8 on a scale of 1 to 10, the score for our respondents' industry categories reaching 6.0, and the score for their own companies moving up to 6.7. Business consulting/professional services appears to be on the upswing, scoring two-tenths of a point above the average across the board, while for the first time, retail/wholesale distribution fell significantly below the average.
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