According to White house reps, the $787 billion stimulus package has created or saved around 640,000 as of October 30, 2009. While these numbers sound promising, they don’t seem to reflect the continuous rise in unemployment that we see with our eyes every day. Of course, this doesn’t mean what the White House says isn’t true. Maybe it just needs a little bit more analysis.
What the White House Says
According to the White House, of the 640,329 jobs that have been created or saved since the start of the stimulus package, the largest numbers have gone to the following:
- 325,000 went to teachers and school staff
- 80,000 went to construction
Also, the following states have benefited the most:
- 110,000 went to the State of California
- New York State received 40,000
- 34,000 were allocated to Washington State
A review of the White House data from the Christian Science Monitor revealed that $159 billion in stimulus spending is providing around 2,100 jobs for every one million people in the country. However, recent reports show that some estimates may have been overstated.
The Reality of Unemployment
While job creation looks promising according to the numbers from the White House, no one can dispute that fact that unemployment is still on the rise. Many more people have lost jobs than have become employed. In fact, 10 million workers have been laid off since the recession and 15 million are out of work, according to government stats. So hearing of job creation doesn’t necessarily ease the nerves of the millions competing for the same jobs.
If you’re actively looking for work, finding a job can be equated to finding a needing in a haystack. However, the situation isn’t hopeless. There are said to be more jobs being created in health care, construction, the school system and hi-tech industries to name a few.
Have you or someone you know received a stimulus-created job?
