Confidence in the US economy has inched closer to a five and a half year high on growing optimism that hiring and wages could pick up in coming months.  The Conference Board, a New York-based private research group, said on Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 81.5 in August. That’s up from a revised reading of 81 in July. And it’s just below the 82.1 reading in June, which was the highest since January 2008. Consumers’ confidence in the economy is watched