July 27, 2009 11:10 AM
- Text
Stimulus Money Already Creating Jobs
(CBS)
President Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus package won final approval less than a month ago, and the money is already being put to work on construction, infrastructure, government and social services projects around the country. CBS news correspondents Jeff Glor and Ben Tracy take a look at two places where the stimulus package is creating jobs.
Electrician George DiBruno has a family of four to support and a construction job that lasts only eight more weeks.
After that?
"After this one we don't know what's gonna happen," he says.
Which is why the seemingly humdrum meetings he's attending these days are so exciting for him. They're new construction bid meetings - fueled by stimulus money - that are launching government projects nationwide.
It's estimated 1.8 million jobs will be created in middle- and low-income fields by the stimulus bill - jobs in construction, manufacturing, retail and hospitality. One-third of those will be union construction jobs - electricians, carpenters and project supervisors - that typically pay 3 to 6 times minimum wage.
In other words, there are jobs out there. The money is there. People like DiBruno and welder Al Brown just need to land them.
If Brown's small, struggling welding business wins a contract, it'll mean jobs for 8 to 10 workers.
"We're attending the outreach meetings. Letting people know who we are, what we can do," Brown says.
Bob Lund is managing transit system stimulus money for the city of Philadelphia. With $191 million dollars to use, Lund's work could create 5,000 jobs.
That's 5,000 people who, if the stimulus money weren't available, wouldn't be working at all, Lund says.
"We're just waiting on the check to actually hand the contract and start the work," he says.
For workers like DiBruno and Brown, the checks can't come quickly enough.
In Los Angeles, a branch of the QueensCare Family Clinics is waiting for its own cut of the stimulus money - a promised $1.3 million check.
"We knew that in the stimulus package there was money for health centers but had no idea it was going to be this fast," said Terry Bonecutter, president and CEO of the clinics.
The money will help treat the growing number of working poor needing subsidized healthcare. The clinic's overwhelmed doctors have already seen 5,000 more patients in just the past year. The stimulus money will give them what they need most, more co-workers - all of which are white-collar jobs being created by the stimulus plan.
Just three weeks ago, the clinic laid off 20 people. Now, with the stimulus money, they plan to rehire 10, including doctors, technicians and the medical assistants who work the front desk.
"We wouldn't have been able to do it without the money," says Bonecutter.
New white collar jobs may also be on the way in Texas, where one construction company is bidding on a stimulus-funded project to widen a major freeway in Dallas.
"Instead of seeing 10 to 15 people being laid off, I think we have the possibility of seeing 10 to 40 being added," said Jim Andoga president of Austin Bridge and Road.
That includes engineers, accountants and marketers.
In fact approximately 1.1 million traditionally white-collar jobs are expected to be created by the stimulus package - jobs in sectors ranging from financial services to education to health care.
But right now, any jobs are a boost for struggling communities - no matter the color of the collar or the coat.
By Jeff Glor and Ben Tracy
Electrician George DiBruno has a family of four to support and a construction job that lasts only eight more weeks.
After that?
"After this one we don't know what's gonna happen," he says.
Which is why the seemingly humdrum meetings he's attending these days are so exciting for him. They're new construction bid meetings - fueled by stimulus money - that are launching government projects nationwide.
It's estimated 1.8 million jobs will be created in middle- and low-income fields by the stimulus bill - jobs in construction, manufacturing, retail and hospitality. One-third of those will be union construction jobs - electricians, carpenters and project supervisors - that typically pay 3 to 6 times minimum wage.
In other words, there are jobs out there. The money is there. People like DiBruno and welder Al Brown just need to land them.
If Brown's small, struggling welding business wins a contract, it'll mean jobs for 8 to 10 workers.
"We're attending the outreach meetings. Letting people know who we are, what we can do," Brown says.
Bob Lund is managing transit system stimulus money for the city of Philadelphia. With $191 million dollars to use, Lund's work could create 5,000 jobs.
That's 5,000 people who, if the stimulus money weren't available, wouldn't be working at all, Lund says.
"We're just waiting on the check to actually hand the contract and start the work," he says.
For workers like DiBruno and Brown, the checks can't come quickly enough.
In Los Angeles, a branch of the QueensCare Family Clinics is waiting for its own cut of the stimulus money - a promised $1.3 million check.
"We knew that in the stimulus package there was money for health centers but had no idea it was going to be this fast," said Terry Bonecutter, president and CEO of the clinics.
The money will help treat the growing number of working poor needing subsidized healthcare. The clinic's overwhelmed doctors have already seen 5,000 more patients in just the past year. The stimulus money will give them what they need most, more co-workers - all of which are white-collar jobs being created by the stimulus plan.
Just three weeks ago, the clinic laid off 20 people. Now, with the stimulus money, they plan to rehire 10, including doctors, technicians and the medical assistants who work the front desk.
"We wouldn't have been able to do it without the money," says Bonecutter.
New white collar jobs may also be on the way in Texas, where one construction company is bidding on a stimulus-funded project to widen a major freeway in Dallas.
"Instead of seeing 10 to 15 people being laid off, I think we have the possibility of seeing 10 to 40 being added," said Jim Andoga president of Austin Bridge and Road.
That includes engineers, accountants and marketers.
In fact approximately 1.1 million traditionally white-collar jobs are expected to be created by the stimulus package - jobs in sectors ranging from financial services to education to health care.
But right now, any jobs are a boost for struggling communities - no matter the color of the collar or the coat.
By Jeff Glor and Ben Tracy
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