A report by the Behavior Research Center puts the statewide confidence up 10 points from the same time last year and 20 points from the year before that.
In general, improving consumer confidence is good for the economy. When consumers think things are improving, they tend to be more willing to spend.
Economist Dennis Hoffman of Arizona State University warns that all that new spending may not necessarily help Arizona merchants. He said much of the new available cash appears to be going to online retailers.
"It's just the way folks want to shop these days. It's amazing how quickly they get product to your door. We've had several deliveries within the day from Amazon," Hoffman said.
Less than two years ago, more than half of those questioned by the Behavior Research Center said jobs were hard to get. The current survey, conducted earlier this month, found that figure had dropped to 26 percent.
