The FINANCIAL -- Confidence continued to improve in January due to positive news about potential job gains. The increase in confidence over the past five months has been substantial, with the Sentiment Index rising by one-third over the depressed August low caused by the Congressional debt debate debacle, according to Thomson Reuters.

Despite this nascent trend toward optimism, the majority of consumers remain deeply skeptical about the prospective strength of the economy.

Although twice as many anticipated an improved near-term economic outlook compared with five months ago, consumers were no more likely to expect their financial situation to improve. Moreover, confidence in government polices remains near an all-time low.

Every sustained recovery in the past half century has been foreshadowed by rising confidence in government economic policies.

Related Stories

• Translating Skills Into Employment requires both demand and supply measures
• Energy efficiency can create significant jobs across Europe
• Most have suffered from bad hires