Benefits Manager

President Barack Obama pressured Republicans in Congress on Monday to extend a payroll tax cut, saying the economic recovery is "still fragile" and middle class families need the money.

Most Social Security reform proposals would result in fewer benefits for future retirees, but if the program pays out less in benefits, the payroll taxes needed from younger workers to support the program would be lower than they would be to fully fund benefits under the current program.

Companies are restoring plan contributions that were reduced or suspended since the beginning of 2008, according to the Plan Sponsor Council of America. Many companies are increasing or adding new contributions to their plan.

Jobs seem to be all we talk about these days.

According to the November CBIZ Small Business Employment Index, which examines hiring trends among companies with 300 or fewer employees, the rate grew by .35 percent in November after decreasing by 1.28 percent in October.

Facing another budget deficit and the prospect of deep cuts to education, Gov. Jerry Brown plans to file a ballot initiative as early as Friday that asks voters to increase taxes on the wealthy and raise the sales tax by half a cent.

Thirty-nine percent of employees say managing their workloads can be difficult during the holiday season, and 41 percent of employees say their workloads are already too heavy, finds a new survey by Accountemps, a specialized staffing firm for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals.

House GOP leaders are struggling with divisions within their party over whether to extend the payroll tax cut, after the Senate punted on its efforts to keep the tax holiday going another year.