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Chief executive officers of the nation’s leading companies anticipate increased capital expenditures, sales and employment during the next six months, according to the Business Roundtable’s first quarter “CEO Economic Outlook” survey conducted between March 15 and 30.

In particular, the U.S. CEOs' employment outlook has become rosier within the past year, officials at the association of leading corporation CEOs said in a survey summary. Respondents estimate real Gross Domestic Product growth of 2.3 percent in 2010.

“As the economy recovers and demand returns, we are seeing across-the-board increases in sales, resulting in increased capital expenditures, less job reduction and some employment stabilization,” said Ivan Seidenberg, the Business Roundtable’s chairman, and chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications, in a prepared statement.

The roundtable’s first-quarter survey index rose to 88.9 vs. a fourth-quarter 2009 index of 71.5 and third- quarter 2009 index of 44.9. The index is a composite of member CEO projections for sales, capital spending and employment in the coming six months. An index reading of 50 or higher is consistent with economic expansion, according to the roundtable.