NEW YORK, Nov 26 - Consumer confidence is expected to have improved in November, setting the stage for a better Christmas holiday sales season, according to economists polled by . The final University of Michigan index of consumer sentiment for November is expected to be at 94.0, up from the previous reading of 89.6 in October. The monthly sentiment survey is slated to be published on Wednesday at 9:45 EST/1445 GMT. The preliminary reading for November was 93.5, and much of the improvement in sentiment is tied to signs of improvement in the U.S. employment picture. Expectations of the index's November reading ranged from 93.0 to 95.5. The median forecast was 94. The following are comments from economists on the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment survey, which is made available to subscribers only.//