As things now stand, without major payroll tax boosts the actual return for our under-age-30 citizens will be decidedly negative.

FORBES: Fact and Comment

Except for the highest-income households, pretty much all of it is caused by the return of payroll tax rates to pre-2010 levels.

FORBES: The Fiscal Cliff Deal In One Picture

"Given the continuing high levels of unemployment, we can expect little to no impact on small business wages and employment levels from the return of the employee payroll tax to its previous level, " said Susan Woodward, the economist who worked with Intuit to create the indexes.

WSJ: Intuit: U.S. Small-Business Employment Up in January

There could be payroll adjustments, or there could be an adjustment on your 1040 federal income tax return.

FORBES: Fiscal Cliff Deal Restores Commuter Tax Break For 2012 And 2013

It's a view shared not only by many conservatives but also by many on the left, including Al Gore's former policy adviser and co-founder of the U.S. Climate Task Force, Harvard lecturer Elaine Kamarck, who wants to return to Gore's original carbon tax tied to a payroll tax cut.

FORBES: Commentary