The Associated Industries of Massachusetts business confidence index rose 2.8 points in January to finish at 55.2.
The increase marked the fourth consecutive month that business owners surveyed felt more positive than negative about the economy. The ranking is based on a 100-point scale.
Raymond Torto, global chief economist at CB Richard Ellis Group Inc. in Boston, said the results show a “cautious but real optimism” among Massachusetts employers.
The current conditions index rose 1.1 points to 52.4 while the future index rose 5.1 points to 58.3. That’s the highest level for the future index in four years. The employment and manufacturing indexes both dropped slightly.
