A new survey from AppleOne reveals that 95 percent of small and medium-sized businesses will not lay off any more employees over the next 18 months, while employee recruiting and hiring efforts will increase during 2011.

The ink has yet to dry on the tax cuts recently passed by Congress, and though the benefits will help the average employee, the new laws have left small business owners and payroll services in a state of limbo.

While the payroll tax for Texas small businesses will decline in 2011, employers in the state will pay slightly more in unemployment insurance taxes next year, according to the Houston Chronicle.

In a move to incentivize employee attendance, United Continental Holdings introduced a new program that will reward employees who have perfect time and attendance.

Issues with the city's payroll processing has left Fort Worth, Texas, police offers in financial limbo thanks to the delivery of hundreds of erroneous paychecks, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Payroll taxes can be one of the trickier parts of running a small business. Not only are proper payroll calculations important to ensure employees receive their just earnings, but accuracy is equally important for government filings.

On Tuesday, New York governor David Paterson signed the Wage Theft Prevention Act to fight back against employers who may cheat their employees out of required minimum-wage salaries or overtime pay.

There are a few reasons for job seekers to be more optimistic following a tumultuous hiring year in 2010, Bloomberg reports.

One demographic hit very hard during the recession was recent college graduates. With jobs evaporating and the demand for inexperienced workers decreasing, new graduates were left to seek out internships rather than a first full-time job.