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A new nationwide survey issued by Citi, and conducted by Hart Research Associates, shows that nearly two-thirds of Americans (62 percent) believe the economy has yet to hit bottom. This represents a 3 point decline from March, when 59 percent said we have a long way to go, and a return to the level measured in September (63 percent). According to the survey, just one-third (33 percent) believe the economy has hit bottom, even though Commerce Department data indicates the U.S. economy resumed growing in 2009’s third quarter.

There are many big changes people can make to save money – cut back on all entertainment, for example. But there are also a number of smaller things people can do to save money, and with the economy not yet turning around, it seems many Americans have opted for this approach. Almost two-thirds of U.S. (65%) adults say they are purchasing more generic brands to save money, slightly up from February when 63% said they were doing this.

U.S. employers are reporting a 2.5% average salary budget increase across all employee categories for 2010, which means many employees may expect a base pay raise of around 2.5% before the year is over. However, the size of the raise changes when the employee’s performance is factored in. Low performers can expect to see minimal increases of up to 0.7% or nothing at all, middle performers might expect a nominal base pay raise of 2.4%, and high performers may expect an average of 3.7% (54% higher than a middle performer). Surveyed employers reported that roughly 24% of employees are rated as high performers, while most are classified as middle performers.

Mortgage rates declined this week, with the average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate tying a record low of 4.74 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.39 discount and origination points.

CareerBuilder's latest nationwide survey shows that small businesses – one of the major drivers for economic recovery and job growth – will be hiring in the second half of 2010. Thirty-two percent of companies with 500 or fewer employees plan to add new employees in the months of July through December. Twenty-one percent will hire full-time, 11 percent will hire part-time and 6 percent will hire contractors or temporary workers. Of companies with 50 or fewer employees, 24 percent plan to hire in the second half of 2010. The survey was completed in June 2010 and included more than 1,300 employers in businesses with 500 or fewer employees and more than 4,400 workers.

Trust in America's financial system has reached its highest point since the start of the Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index in 2008, according to the latest quarterly findings covering the period of April to June 2010. The new report shows that 26 percent of Americans trust the financial system – a gain of 3 percentage points over last quarter's figure – and that trust in all components measured by the Index are on the rise.

In his latest quarterly commentary, Max Bublitz, chief strategist and portfolio manager at SCM Advisors LLC, an affiliated investment manager of Virtus Investment Partners, likens the recent financial tumult to a critical moment in the 1975 thriller "Jaws" when Police Chief Martin Brody first realizes the enormity of the great white shark terrorizing the beaches of Amity. "You're gonna need a bigger boat," a wide-eyed Brody tells the captain of the ship that's hunting the shark.

More than half (54 percent) of large U.S. businesses that reduced staff in the past 12 months plan to rebuild their workforces to pre-recession levels within two years, according to a study released by Accenture.

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally lower in June. Thirty-nine states and the District of Columbia recorded unemployment rate decreases, five states had increases and six states had no change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Twentyfour states recorded unemployment rate increases from a year earlier, 22 states and the District of Columbia had decreases, and 4 states had no change. The national jobless rate edged down by 0.2 percentage point to 9.5 percent and was unchanged from June 2009.

Rising tuition and an uncertain economy could be casting doubts over the value of investing in a college education, according to a COUNTRY® Financial survey. The number of Americans who think college is a good financial investment plunged to 64 percent, down 16 points from last year and 17 points from 2008.