By Kathleen Madigan

Women are from Upbeat Town, men are from Cautionville.

That’s the reading from a survey released by Citigroup Thursday. The survey of 1,070 women and 935 men showed a gender divide when it comes to assessing the economy’s recovery. Since women traditionally make the bulk of households’ buying decisions, their better moods could set the tone for spending in the second half.

According to the survey conducted in late June, 56% of women think local business conditions will improve over the next year, while only 50% of men feel that way. Compared with an October 2009 survey, women have maintained their level of optimism, while men have grown more dour.

Women also are a bit more confident about their finances: 66% of them are somewhat or very optimistic about their situation while only 62% of men feel that way.

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