The Conference Board says CEOs are less confident than they’ve been since it started keeping track in 1976.
The board’s measure of CEO confidence now stands at 24, down from 40 in the third quarter. The 50 mark indicates a neutral level between optimism and pessimism. The board said it is only the second time the number has dropped below 30.
Only 11 percent of the CEOs anticipate improvement in the economy over the next six months, and none say conditions have improved in the past half-year.
The survey includes about 100 CEOs in various industries.
