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Brinker Capital, a leading investment management firm, released results of the second quarter’s Brinker Barometer, a gauge of financial advisor confidence and sentiment regarding the economy, retirement savings, investing and market performance.

The National Small Business Association released the 2009 Mid-Year Economic Report which illustrates a small-business community barely hanging on in the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. According to the report, 94 percent of small businesses surveyed said the national economy today is worse off than five years ago, and those who think the economy is doing much worse jumped from 64 percent in December 2008 to 75 percent in July 2009.

Public trust in government has declined, pressure to regulate business has softened, and trust in President Barack Obama to solve the nation’s problems has slipped, according to the latest quarterly Public Trust Monitor, conducted by Public Strategies, Inc., in conjunction with POLITICO.

Pay raises for U.S. workers are expected to rebound in 2010, following a year in which many companies slashed raises in the wake of the recession, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt.

From December 2007 to December 2008, employment declined in 285 of the 334 largest U.S. counties, according to preliminary data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Elkhart County, Ind., located about 100 miles east of Chicago, posted the largest percentage decline, with a loss of 17.8 percent over the year, compared with a national job decrease of 2.3 percent. Manufacturing sustained the largest employment losses in Elkhart. Montgomery County, Texas, which is about 20 miles north of Houston, experienced the largest over-the-year percentage increase in employment among the largest counties in the U.S., with a gain of 2.7 percent.

As the economy struggles to gain momentum, 57% of manufacturing executives are cautiously optimistic about the outlook for the next six months and nearly two-thirds (70%) are planning to keep staff levels steady, according to a survey released by Baker Tilly.

In the midst of economic uncertainty, the relationship between investors and their financial advisors becomes the most crucial factor impacting investor satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 U.S. Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study(SM).

With unemployment continuing to rise in the midst of the recession, Americans do not have much of a financial cushion should they suddenly lose their income. According to a new survey by COUNTRY Financial, nearly half (49 percent) say they wouldn't be able to pay their bills on time if they went more than one month between jobs.

In a competitive job market, every candidate wants to get noticed - and some will go to great lengths. In a recent survey, OfficeTeam asked executives to recount the most unusual thing they have seen or heard an applicant do to stand out from the crowd.

The weekly average rate borrowers were quoted on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace for 30-year fixed mortgages increased last week to 5.31 percent, up from 5.26 percent the week prior, according to the Zillow Mortgage Rate Monitor, compiled by leading real estate Web site Zillow.com . Meanwhile, rates for 15-year fixed mortgages rose to 4.69 percent from 4.65 percent, and 5-1 adjustable rate mortgages also rose to 4.31 percent, down from 4.30 the week prior.