Recovery not imminent, but job loss worries and personal saving habits stabilize

Although the majority of Americans believe the recession will not end for one or two years, job loss concerns and personal saving habits have held steady, said a Financial Times/Harris Interactive poll released this week.

The survey, which polled adults in the five largest European countries and the United States, found that 43 percent of Americans believe the recession will end in one or two years, compared to the 6 percent who believe it will end in six months.

The survey also found that the majority of Americans - 42 percent - "are not at all concerned they will lose their jobs within the next year because of the recession," second only to France at 47 percent and Germans at 45 percent.

Despite the news that personal saving habits have increased as a result of the recession - threatening the working capital and cash flow of small businesses dependent on consumer spending - the survey found that 47 percent of Americans have not changed their monthly savings rate in the past six months.

In a similar situation to the country's June unemployment numbers - which showed increased job losses but at a slower rate than expected - the data shows some improvement in economic conditions without pointing to a recovery just yet.