The Air Conditioning Contractors of America revealed the results of its Contractor Comfort Index for March and found that association members are optimistic about short-term gains.

For March 2011, the CCI is 62. The results also show that contractors are feeling more confident in March 2011 than they were in March 2010 when the CCI was 60.

The CCI is calculated based on a survey of the association’s contractor members, who are asked how positive they feel about new business prospects, existing business activity, and expected staffing decisions in the short-term future. Weighted and averaged into one number, a CCI of 50 or above reflects anticipated growth.

The CCI is released prior to the start of each month. The next index number will be released during the last week of April.