The mood of U.S. industrial companies has brightened substantially, thanks to the strength of markets both at home and abroad.

Looking forward to the next 12 months, 63% of manufacturers interviewed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP during the fourth quarter said they are optimistic about prospects for the U.S. economy — up 28 points from the 35% who felt that way in the third quarter. The survey is based on interviews with 62 executives of large multinational companies. Only 7% of respondents were pessimistic about the U.S. outlook, while 30% are uncertain.

Optimism about the global outlook also surged. Among those who sell abroad, 60% now say they’re optimistic — up 22 points from the quarter before.

“The major shift from uncertainty to optimism in this quarter’s findings gives us good reason to be hopeful,” said Barry Misthal, U.S. industrial manufacturing leader for PriceWaterhouseCoopers. “We may now begin to see industrial manufacturers start making business decisions in a less guarded, more confident manner as we move into 2011.”

The U.S. manufacturing sector has snapped back faster than other parts of the economy in the current recovery. The majority of companies in the survey – 61% — said they believed the U.S. economy is growing, a 34-point jump from the third quarter.

The upbeat mood should translate into more jobs in the months ahead. Forty-eight percent of companies in the survey said they plan to add employees over the next 12 months, up 6 points from the third quarter and 18 points higher than a year ago. Those planning to hire said they’re focusing on adding skilled workers and professionals — not lower-skilled workers.