BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts employers are expecting modest improvements in the state's economy in the first half of the new year, according to a survey by a business group.

Associated Industries of Massachusetts' monthly index of business confidence rose nine-tenths of a point in December to its highest level since May, although it was down when compared with the previous December.

The improvement and outlook comes in the wake of a period of disappointing economic growth and financial turmoil.

The confidence index in December was 51.0, just above what is considered neutral. The index works on a scale of 100, with readings above 50 indicating employer optimism in the business climate.

The highest the index reached was 68.5 in the late 1990s, and it reached a low of 33.3 in February 2009.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.