Fifty percent of Minnesota businesses believe the state's economy will improve in the second quarter, which is an increase from 39 percent in the previous quarter and twice the percentage from only six months ago, according to Twin Cities Business's quarterly economic indicator survey.

Among the 888 respondents that were surveyed throughout Minnesota, 49 percent also say they expect national and international economic conditions to improve this quarter, a jump from 32 percent from the first quarter.

This higher level of optimism is hitting at a time when Minnesota businesses are putting more of an investment in their operations, the survey finds. Planned investments in capital outlays as well as research and development have grown in all of the last three quarterly surveys. In today's second quarter, 38 percent of respondents expect to put more into their capital outlays, and another 28 percent of respondents say they plan to spend more on research and development.