Employer-Paid

Alabama agriculture officials are considering whether prisoners can fill a chronic labor shortage the farm agency blames on the state's new law against illegal immigration.

Fifty-six percent of human resources professionals say their organizations performed better this year than in 2010, which is 37 points higher than the previous poll from January 2011, according to a survey by ORC International, a global market research firm.

President Barack Obama accepted a move by Senate Democrats to scale back his Social Security payroll tax cut extension on Monday, then prodded Republicans to support it despite a requirement for the very wealthy to pay more taxes.

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.

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.