What recovery? Positive economic vibes hard to find

Nearly one out of two small business owners, 48%, say they are worse off now than they were in 2007, the official start of the recession, according to a new nationwide poll.

The survey, from PNC Bank, further found that less than half, 46%, of the respondents expect a sales increase in the next six months — down from 58% last spring. Projected profits are on a downswing, too: Less than four out of 10, 38%, expect an increase, compared with 43% in the spring.

Expected hiring, no surprise, is also not a bundle of optimism, according to the survey. Less than one-fourth of the respondents, 23%, expected to add new employees by the end of the year. At least that's up from last year, when only 20% of the respondents expected to increase the payroll.