Area Development
The Business Roundtable, a survey of 106 CEOs from some of the country's biggest corporations, finds that 39 percent of executives planned to increase hiring during the second half of 2010, the highest percentage since 2007. Only 17 percent of CEOs said they would lay off employees.

Nearly 80 percent of surveyed executives expected sales to grow during the second half, the largest percentage since the second quarter of 2006.

Despite the optimism, Business Roundtable Chairman and Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg said executives were still cautious due to global economic turmoil and the projected addition of new taxes and regulations.

Executives were particularly cautious about capital spending. Half said they would not change their current spending levels.