It was confident enough in the economy to resume construction of a factory in Mississippi, Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. has said.

The New York Times reported on Friday that Toyota Motor Sales USA President James Lentz said in a conference call, "We're confident that we're seeing things improving."

He said, "We're starting to see some bright spots in the economy," although he also warned, "It's not going to come roaring back."

It would build Corolla cars in Blue Springs, Miss., not the Prius model it originally intended to build at the plant, where construction was halted when the industry adjusted to a prolonged downturn during the recession, Toyota has said.

Bob King, the newly elected president of the United Auto Worker's union, said the decision to close down the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. facility in California and move production to a non-union shop in Mississippi was "outrageous."

The day after he ascended to the union's top job, King said on Thursday, "It's a terrible business decision and clearly to us an anti-union decision. They're running away from decently paid workers to much lower wages in Mississippi." (With Inputs from Agencies)