Washington ? Consumer confidence surged during the past month to its highest level since the beginning of the year, with Americans feeling better about their own finances and more optimistic about the future despite renewed terror threats and rising oil prices.

In a survey conducted before Friday’s release of Labor Department data showing a sharp slowdown in the creation of new jobs, the AP-Ipsos consumer confidence index climbed to 104.8 in August, up from 92.0 in July.

Consumer confidence has been rising for the past four months amid signs of economic recovery.

For Mike Mainello, a North Carolina businessman retired from the military, evidence of the improving economy is all around him.

“My wife sells new homes to first-time home buyers. They’re buying right and left,” said Mainello, a 45-year-old conservative Republican from Winston-Salem. “We’re finally paying off bills faster than we’re incurring them.”

The AP-Ipsos survey of consumer attitudes by spending and household found a surge of economic optimism that has shown up in several recent measures of consumer attitudes.

While months of steady improvement in the job market until Friday’s announcement of a slowdown has fueled optimism, the AP-Ipsos index found the increase this time was based more on people’s improved perceptions of their own personal finances, and their view of how their local economy will be doing six months from now.

The survey found Americans considerably more upbeat about the economy than a year ago.