An international survey of banks and other financial services firms found that most have boosted salaries and cut back on bonuses in response to criticism of compensation packages in the wake of the financial crisis, Reuters reported. The survey of 61 firms found that 80 percent have made or plan to make changes to annual bonuses and short-term incentives, 65 percent of banks had increased basic salaries and 88 percent decreased the weighting of bonuses in their compensation mix, according to the study by Mercer. American firms also fancied claw-back provisions, with 60 percent putting them in place, ahead of 35 percent of respondents in Europe.

Condé Nast and Meredith Corp. have joined Time Inc. and Hearst in supporting a marketing campaign promoting the strengths of the beleaguered print medium, according to people with knowledge of the talks, Mediaweek reported, citing sources who said Jann Wenner, chairman of Wenner Media, is spearheading the effort. A Wenner representative declined to comment to Mediaweek. Those involved are committing pages in their magazines to support the campaign, whose launch is described as being a few months off. The effort to boost the industry’s image comes amid sharp declines in magazine advertising. The industry saw ad pages fall about 21 percent in 2009, per the Mediaweek Monitor, and the closure of several high-profile magazines.

The Conference Board Employment Trends Index continued to rise in December, its sixth consecutive monthly increase. The index now stands at 91.8, up 1.7 points from the November figure. The index is down 5.2 points from a year ago. This month’s increase was driven by positive contributions from all eight components. “Given the sharp and widespread improvement in the Employment Trends Index in recent months, it is very likely that we will see at least some job growth during the first quarter,” said Gad Levanon of The Conference Board. “Despite the disappointing job report last Friday, the relatively strong economic recovery in the second half of 2009 suggests that the employment trend should reach a turning point in the very near future.” The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said the unemployment rate remained at 10 percent in December, stuck there in large part because an increasing number of people have given up looking for work. The Employment Trends Index aggregates eight labor-market indicators, each of which has proven accurate in its own area.

China’s auto sales surged past the United States to reach record levels in 2009, industry figures showed today, Reuters reported. Vehicle sales in the country reached a record 13.6 million units in 2009, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said, well above a previous target of 10 million units and compared with annual sales of 10.4 million cars and light trucks in the United States, the lowest level in 27 years.

Correction: Foundry Coworking, a shared workspace at 1312 Locust St., Suite 204, Des Moines, is offering free use of its common area during the month of January as many times as people want. It was incorrectly reported as a free one-day pass in Friday’s Business Record Daily.