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Employers took 1,532 mass layoff actions in June involving 143,444 workers, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Each mass layoff involved at least 50 workers from a single employer. The number of mass layoff events in June decreased by 67, or 4 percent, from May, and the number of associated initial claims decreased by 96, or less than 1 percent. In June, 341 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, seasonally adjusted, resulting in 35,693 initial claims; both figures decreased over the month.

Although used car prices likely peaked in June, average trade-in values of many popular, fuel-efficient small cars for the 2006-2009 model years are still expected to be 10 to 30 percent higher in August 2011 than they were at the beginning of the year, says Jonathan Banks, senior analyst with the NADA Used Car Guide.

Continuing economic turmoil sent the First Command Financial Behaviors Index® tumbling six points during the second quarter, reflecting a steady erosion in the financial intentions and attitudes of middle-class Americans.

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. increased 0.3 percent, The Conference Board Coincident Economic Index® (CEI) increased 0.1 percent and The Conference Board Lagging Economic Index® (LAG) increased 0.3 percent in June.

Between the negotiations on the debt ceiling and the recent disappointment in the jobs reports, it is perhaps not surprising that President Obama is at his lowest point in Americans' opinions on his handling of the economy. Just one-quarter of Americans (26%) give him positive ratings while three-quarters (74%) give him negative ratings on his handling of the economy. Last month, 27% of U.S. adults gave the President positive ratings while 73% gave him negative marks. When it comes to his handling of the economy, even majorities of Democrats (55%) give President Obama negative ratings.

Small business hiring in the back half of 2011 is expected to be better than 2010, but caution continues to steer the pace of job creation post-recession. This is according to CareerBuilder's nationwide survey of more than 1,400 small businesses (defined as companies with 500 or fewer employees), between May 19 and June 8, 2011.

Average mortgage rates remained constant according to the LendingTree Weekly Mortgage Rate Pulse, which tracks the lowest and average mortgage rates offered by lenders on the LendingTree network.

NRF’s 2011 Back-to-College survey, conducted by BIGresearch, found more college shoppers this year will make adjustments to their budgets because of the economy. According to the survey, parents and students will spend an average of $808.71 on everything from apparel and electronics to dorm furnishings and food items, down from $835.73 last year. Combined K-12 and college spending will reach $68.8 billion.

As they prepare for their annual back-to-school shopping trip, parents this year will make children scour their closets before agreeing to buy any new jeans, pencils or backpacks. According to NRF’s 2011 Back-to-School survey conducted by BIGresearch, families with children in grades K-12 will spend an average of $603.63 on apparel, school supplies and electronics, within a few dollars of last year’s $606.40 average. Total spending on grades K-12 is expected to reach $22.8 billion.

A new University of Missouri study, sponsored by Prudential Financial, on the timing of individual retirement decisions from 1992 to 2008 demonstrates that Americans are more likely to retire after periods of strong equity market performance, following the retirement of a spouse, or if they participated in a defined benefit (DB) pension plan.