San Francisco Bay Area execs are optimistic. (Survey Says).

Despite the economic slowdown and uncertainty following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a recent survey of San Francisco Bay Area business executives finds that 70 percent believe the regional economy has reached bottom and will hold steady or improve over the next six months, according to survey results released by the Bay Area Council, a CEO-led, public-policy organization.

"As one of the first measures of business confidence since Sept. 11, this is a key indicator of the business expectations that underlie actual economic performance for the Bay Area," states Sunne Wright McPeak, president and CEO of the Bay Area Council. "The Business Confidence Survey reflects more optimism--although cautious--than expected."

Substantiating this optimism, 22 percent of the respondents expect to increase the number of employees working for them in the next two quarters. And, 75 percent report that it is now easier to hire and retain the talent that their business requires.

"Clearly, given the softening economy, employers are finding it easier to fill jobs from the talented workforce in the Bay Area," states Lenny Mendonca, a director at Mckinsey & Company who assisted with the survey. "With the importance of the Bay Area's labor productivity advantage to the health of the overall economy, an optimistic view from business leaders about their hiring plans is good news."

The Bay Area Council says it will conduct the survey quarterly and establish an index, measuring changes in business confidence in the region.