A rare sign of real economic confidence

The economy has shown some signs of improvement, and Americans have taken notice of those signs -- at least to some extent.

But most of the economic indicators we see today have only gotten modestly better over the past several months -- i.e. Americans don't exactly see the economy back in a safe place. And politically, the economy is hardly a success story for President Obama and his party (which will generally get credit/take blame for it).

Well, here's one exception. According to a new Gallup poll, 58 percent of Americans say they are "completely satisfied" with their job security. That's not only higher than it has been since the recession; it's also higher than it has been for two full decades.

The poll also showed two-decade highs when it comes to people who say they are "completely satisfied" with the amount of work required of them (56 percent), their retirement plans (36 percent), recognition for their work accomplishments (53 percent) and the amount of money they earn (31 percent).

It's easy to over-state the significance of these numbers; after all, a recent poll showed about half of Americans think we're still in a recession. Clearly, Americans aren't all that confident about the overall job market.

But at least in their personal lives, it appears they feel some certainty has been restored.