CEO Confidence hit all-time high in Q2

Our Privacy Policy has been updated! The Conference Board uses cookies to improve our website, enhance your experience, and deliver relevant messages and offers about our products. Detailed information on the use of cookies on this site is provided in our cookie policy. For more information on how The Conference Board collects and uses personal data, please visit our privacy policy. By continuing to use this Site or by clicking "OK", you acknowledge our privacy policy and consent to the use of cookies.

Economy, Strategy & Finance Center

US CEO Confidence

+ 0.5% Australia LEI

- 0.2% Brazil LEI

- 0.2% China LEI

+ 2.0pts Consumer Confidence

- 0.59% Employment Trends

- 0.3% Euro Area LEI

+ 0.3% France LEI

0.0% Germany LEI

- 0.3% Global LEI

- 0.1% HWOL

+ 0.1% India LEI

+ 0.5% Japan LEI

+ 0.3% Mexico LEI

+ 1.0% South Korea LEI

0.0% Spain LEI

- 0.1% UK LEI

- 0.3% U.S. LEI

+ 15.0pts U.S. CEO Confidence

CEO Confidence hit all-time high in Q2

May 21, 2021 | Chart

The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence™ in collaboration with The Business Council improved further in the second quarter of 2021, following a sharp increase in Q1. The measure now stands at 82, up from 73. This marks the highest level of CEO confidence recorded since the measure began in 1976. (A reading above 50 points reflects more positive than negative responses.)

This quarter’s survey marks a remarkable turnaround from a year ago—when CEO confidence reached a nadir of 34 at the height of COVID-19’s first wave,” said Dana Peterson, Chief Economist of The Conference Board. “For CEOs, the challenge of navigating a once-in-a-century pandemic is receding, as the focus turns to hiring and investing to compete in an economy poised to see the fastest growth in decades over the months ahead.”

For more information about The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence™ please visit our website (link).

CREATE AN ACCOUNT SIGN IN

This publication is exclusive to members of The Conference Board.
For information about membership click here.

Press Releases / In the News

PRESS RELEASE

Confidence Revived in Q3 but CEOs Remain Cautious

August 07, 2025

IN THE NEWS

Dana Peterson Discusses CEO Confidence

October 24, 2024

IN THE NEWS

Topindustriëlen zien wereld splitsen in competitieve handels

May 24, 2022

IN THE NEWS

Roger Ferguson: CEO confidence dip, inflation, and more

October 06, 2021

IN THE NEWS

Steve Odland on CEO Confidence and Returning to the Office

September 22, 2021

IN THE NEWS

CEO Confidence Soars in Q2

May 20, 2021

Data central

Subscribe to Access Data Central & Chart Reports

Your centralized, one-stop portal for accessing and exporting The Conference Board global suite of monthly and quarterly economic data. Get up to speed on critical trends—anytime, anywhere—with customizable real-time datasets.