Nearly four years after the financial crisis began, feweremployers and employees are reporting severe negative economiceffects. However, both groups exhibit declining optimism about howthey will be doing financially a year from now.

That's according to Prudential Insurance Company of America's new study,“Sharpening the Focus on Benefits Strategy.”

Fourteen percent of both employers and employees cited severenegative economic effects, down significantly from 2010 results of27% for employers and 22% for employees.

Conversely, employers who said their financial position will bebetter or improving in one year dropped from 70% in 2010 to 54%this year; employees reported a drop from 44% to 38%.

On the credit union front, 79% of employees said they see theiremployers as a trustworthy source to help them grow and protecttheir money, second only to credit unions (81%), according to thestudy.

Employers reported a 17% increase over 2010 results in makingbenefits strategies a main focus. With shifting ownership and costof benefits to employees, employers' top strategies are, inpriority order expanding wellness, preventive and work/life balanceinitiatives, improving the effectiveness of benefitscommunications, cost-sharing with employees, giving more financialresponsibility to employees and increasing employee benefitseducation and financial advice.

The perceived value of employee benefits has also been trendingupward, from 43% in 2010 to 59% today. Fifty-one percent ofemployees believe they are being offered a wide array of benefits,up from 38% two years ago.

Employees also said they are reading their benefit enrollmentmaterial in large numbers – 82% this year, up seven points fromlast year. Most agree they prefer benefits communications they canread on their own time, the research showed.

Prudential said the research was conducted via the Internetduring July 2012, and consisted of three distinct surveys of plansponsors, plan participants, and broker/consultant audiences.