Business leaders grow more confident about world economy, despite politics.

DAVOS, Switzerland — Confidence levels at some of America’s largest corporations soared over the past year despite uncertainty created by President Trump’s election and the fractious geopolitical headlines his administration unleashed, according to a report published Monday on the eve of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting. 

Professional services giant PwC’s annual CEO survey found U.S. business leaders’ optimism about global growth prospects and the worldwide economic environment for the next 12 months more than doubled to 59%. This time last year, it was 24%.

After presidential election-related anxieties in 2017, U.S. CEOs' confidence in their companies' short-term revenue growth also saw a healthy increase — to 52% for 2018, up from 39%. 

The World Economic Forum runs from Tuesday to Friday here. PwC's report attributes the boosted confidence to a U.S. economy that is growing at a respectful rate of 3%, increased consumer confidence and jobless rates that have hit new lows.

The survey also underlines how U.S. corporate leaders have been willing to look past the political tumult of Trump's first year in office, including assaults on international trade agreements, controversies over immigration, withdrawal from the Paris climate accord and still-simmering allegations of election collusion with Russia. 

"CEOs have become more resilient in terms of geopolitical noise and internal political stuff and figured out ways to stay truly focused," Robert Moritz, PwC’s global chairman, said in a USA TODAY interview. "They are all about better execution of what they can control."

Among the things that CEOs can control: Strategies for growth that rely on organic business expansion, cost reduction, strategic alliances and mergers-and-acquisitions. More than half of CEOs in the survey expect their employee headcount to increase over the coming year.

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