2010-06-13T18:30:02Z eBillme support@ebillme.com Get ready to feel the pinch. Three of your household bills are on the rise in 2011. Losing weight isn't the only way to slim down this year. If you are looking for a New Year's resolution that could help reduce stress and anxiety, then you may want to make it your goal to climb out of debt. Some economists have made a rather sunny forecast for 2011 - despite an economy that is still recovering, there may be a hiring boom. However, the majority of economists expect the unemployment rate to hover around 9 percent, which is where it stands now, according to CNN. More than 1.53 million U.S. citizens filed for bankruptcy last year, a 9 percent increase over the number of filed bankruptcies in 2009. The figures have been rising steadily since 2005, in part due to new bankruptcy laws, reports CNN. Consumers seeking out web-based offers in an effort to save online contributed to a record-breaking number of online sales this holiday season. Market analyst comScore reported Wednesday that total sales since late November through December 26 reached $30.81 billion. The Labor Department recently released figures indicating that jobless claims in the U.S. have dropped significantly, reaching their lowest level since July of 2008, according to Bloomberg. Though many people are still unemployed and seeking a job to help make ends meet, there may be a surprising job trend in 2011. According to CNN, U.S. workers are expected to quit their positions in search of more fulfilling work. The blizzard that slammed the East Coast on December 26 did more damage than closing roads and snowing in countless Americans - it cost the retail industry an estimated $1 billion, according to Bloomberg. The blizzard may have prevented some shoppers in the East Coast from heading out to stores in search of post-holiday sales, but it didn't do much to slow online shopping. According to the Associated Press, consumers hoping to save online after Christmas have helped make 2010 one of the most, if not the most, successful holiday shopping seasons in history. Despite an overall positive holiday shopping season, it seems that consumers are still wary about the economy in the final days of 2010. The Conference Board's confidence index indicates that consumer security declined more than many economists predicted, according to Bloomberg.