The insurance and finance sector’s confidence level rose 19 points to +58 in the June quarter, the biggest gain among 10 industries monitored by the Sensis Business Index.

The industry – along with hospitality, and health and community services – is the most optimistic.

“Confidence in this sector lifted more than in any other… Good sales and being an established, solid business are the two leading reasons for confidence,” Sensis says.

The industry’s expectations for sales stand at +14, profitability +8, employment +3, wages +13 and prices +28.

Overall national business confidence is at its highest in five years, rising nine points to +44.

It is the first time national confidence has exceeded +40 since 2011.

“The shift that appears to be driving confidence is the improvement in perceptions of the economy,” Sensis CEO John Allan said.

“Looking at what businesses had to say about the economy in more detail, we see that concern about the economic climate halved this quarter, with only one in 20 businesses now pointing to this as one of their ongoing worries.”

The Sensis Business Index for the June quarter was based on phone interviews with 1001 small and medium businesses, including 82 from the insurance and finance sector.