Social Security/Unemployment Benefits Extension

{Washington, D.C.}...After days of wrangling, House Republican leaders agreed Thursday to a two-month extension of Social Security payroll tax cuts and federal unemployment benefits. The breakthrough almost certainly spares workers an average $20-a-week tax increase January 1st. If the cuts had expired as scheduled, 160 million workers would have seen a 2 percentage point increase in their Social Security taxes, and up to 2 million people without jobs for six months would start losing unemployment benefits averaging $300 a week.