White House Unveils Stimulus Jobs Report

Report Shows Federal Contracts Generate About 650,000 Jobs; Tax Breaks Push Job Creation Over Million Mark

(CBS/AP)  Updated at 7:03 p.m. EDT

The White House put out a report card Friday claiming that stimulus spending has directly created or saved about 650,000 jobs.

Critics question how can anybody can claim success when unemployment is almost 10 percent, reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Chip Reid. But Vice President Biden said Friday that without the stimulus funds, unemployment would be even higher.

The Obama administration also said Friday it is on track to reach the president's goal of 3.5 million jobs by the end of next year.

"This is helping put us back on track," Biden said, though he acknowledged "we've still got a long way to go."

"We know more jobs are on the way … we're only about a third of the way through this marathon."

New job numbers from businesses, contractors, state and local governments, nonprofit groups and universities were released publicly Friday afternoon on Recovery.gov, the Web site of the independent panel overseeing stimulus spending. It showed 640,329 jobs created or saved directly through federal contracts.

When adding in jobs linked to $288 billion in tax cuts, Biden said, the stimulus plan has created or saved more than 1 million jobs.

Government recovery plans - everything from the $787 billion stimulus to tax credits for buying new homes to government deals on new cars - are credited with helping the economy grow again after a record four straight losing quarters.

But the job market has yet to show signs of recovery, putting pressure on the White House to show that the stimulus was worth its hefty price tag. The economy has shed millions of jobs since Obama signed the stimulus in February, giving Republicans ammunition to say the government is spending too much for too little effect.

The White House says the report bolsters its case that the economy would have been far worse without the stimulus - a package of government spending, tax cuts, state aide and social programs.

Friday's data will have its limitations, since calculating "jobs saved" will always produce an inexact estimate and collecting data from so many sources is certain to produce errors. But the number released Friday represents the most accurate head count of stimulus jobs to date, one that is more precise than previous estimates based on White House economic formulas.

And it represents the most extensive effort ever by any administration to calculate the effect of a spending program in real time.

"It's a great example of the unprecedented transparency, where the American taxpayer can point and click and see their taxes creating jobs," White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein said.

The claims of job creation were quickly criticized in Republican circles. Tony Fratto, a former Bush administration spokesman, called the reports a "useless exercise that completely misses the aims of an expensive stimulus bill," reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.

Fratto's response, published on The Roosevelt Room, criticized the Obama administration as having "no clue" on the impact of stimulus spending on "net employment."

The White House promised the data would be far more reliable than the first batch of numbers, on federal contracts, which the administration initially embraced, then branded a "test run" after thousands of errors were discovered.

Teachers are expected to represent the largest number of jobs in the report. With state budgets in crisis, federal aid helped governors avoid major cuts in education, which officials said spared hundreds of thousands of teachers from the unemployment line.

In Indiana, where officials reported saving 13,000 teaching jobs, Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels warned against putting too much stock in the job numbers.

"I personally wouldn't try to tell a taxpayer that this had any effect that I can see on the economy or let alone that there is some specific number of jobs attached to it," Daniels said earlier this month.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, said Friday "there's just no doubt" that the federal aide spared 6,100 government jobs, including teachers, police officers and firefighters, in his state.

"There would have been dramatic layoffs," he said.

[dan1967win]

When Bush was our President 3.6 million manufacturing jobs were lost. How can the people in Virginia or New Jersey vote for another Republican? Here is a Link that gives details about the failed economic policies of Bush and the Republicans: http://budget.house.gov/doc-library/fy2009/7.31.08_Bush%20economic_%20and%20fiscal_%20record.pdf

[u74s88]

Am I the only one who can't stand to see that arrogant Robert Gibbs vomit up treasonous lies day in and day out??? This administration has to go...and no republicans either....we need a legitimate 3rd party. Throw all these Benedict Arnolds out.

[natdef_1]

SAM's been to the Barry Kool-Ade jug one too many times.

I would just like to know...when a guy lies to you so often, how do you decide what to believe??? Do you just pick the things you would LIKE to be true???

All Hail, Mr. Present

[SAMTORRES66]

It will take 4 years of OBAMA to Fix 8 Years of BUSH CARTEL....Patience is a virtue, lets time-out for a few month and watch where OBAMA plan's will take us, Implemeting new & modifing existing systems is no easy task, it will take TIME to see the long term effects and benefits....

[natdef_1]

by midlclass October 31, 2009 10:19 AM EDT
also notice that nothing intellegent has been saidon this page that relates to the issue typical republican't attitude. some good jokes though,
-------------------------------

Actually, there were some very good points made when the story first came out, with the consensus forming that these numbers are BOGUS, and that the Obama people will do or say ANYTHING to self-aggrandize and promote their power.

Then, BambieBest got frustrated by the fact that her tired and redundant anti-Bush rants did nothing to refute the truth, so she decided to start dominating the board with (not very funny) anti-Bush jokes. That's when the comedy really started. Then, some pretty funny Obama cracks got deployed. At this point, Barbie started to cry and shut down her computer...

[bcpats]

3 seconds and the dems would be out of details or explanation for their infatuation and gullability to believe that 'democracy' is a system controlled by the government.



midlclass :in your response "or a three second talk with a repub"

to natdef_1 comment"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average Obama voter."

[natdef_1]

You're right -- the majority of Obama voters interviewed at exit polls last November could not properly identify Obama's platform positions...even ubiquitous news stories like "who told Joe the Plumber that government should redistribute wealth" were not attributed to Obama by his own constituency.

Pretty pathetic, and certainly removes credibility from any "mandate for change" that the Obama crowd likes to claim.

[BeckieBest]

Ever notice how good news upsets the right wing nuts and bad news makes them happy?

Why do they want the country to fail?

Wasn't 8 years of Bush enough?

Maybe they're still upset that he wasn't able to run for a third term?

[midlclass]

also notice that nothing intellegent has been saidon this page that relates to the issue typical republican't attitude. some good jokes though,

[bcpats]

beckiebeast- - your repeated notes (from yesterday) still holds no merit - - do you still believe the reported job increase numbers?? Read today's article on CBS "Stimulus Jobs Check: Are They for Real?"

[natdef_1]

You continued insipid rants about the past are enough to make my screen go blank...blah, blah, blah, bore, bore, bore...

[BeckieBest]

Ever notice that when how good news upsets right wing nuts and bad news makes them happy?

Why do they want the country to fail so badly?

Wasn't 8 years of Bush enough?

[djpompea]

640,329 jobs created or saved? Well, duh. All the government had to do is write checks for $1 million each, and it would have created 787,000 millionaires!!! Given the choice, I'd rather have a million dollars than have a "job".

[hungry1968-17]

Exactly how many bridges and roads would have been built?

How many teachers and police would have been kept on the payroll?

No critical thinking skills at all, huh?

[natdef_1]

NO ONE KNOWS, HUNGRY, THAT'S THE POINT!!! AT LEAST IF WE JUST PAID PEOPLE, WE WOULD KNOW WHO BENEFITED!

[sliwas1]

hey, I see this Becky person hangs out on these comments pages, and repeats the same sound bytes. She never once cross examines, or has a cosmic moment where she can see with clarity that Obama's policies never could, and have proven that they don't yield the desired affect -and most critics with financial backgrounds concur.

She decrie, Bush as be the out of control freak growing the deficit. However, she must admit that this statement loses out to the fact that Obama, at a time when the deficit control became a central alert-went ahead and quadrupled it. He another words gambled with all we have at the slot machine.

Let's all do our best to really ignore Becky, because she is not qualified to debate. She could be a drone.

[jsd330]

As much time as Beckie spends on these boards, I doubt Beckie even has a job. Unless she is a paid blogger.

[natdef_1]

According to Obama, 325,000 of these "saved" jobs were teachers and other education workers.

Is it fair to say that the contention that the stimulus saved these jobs is speculation, rather than fact?

There is a trend in the White House of using the most favorable data interpretation possible to back grandiose statements of accomplishment, even when there is little fact to back any of it up!

How about just delivering the truth. People might not be drifting away from Obama so quickly if he were perceived as being MORE HONEST!

[natdef_1]

Looks like Bambie finally got as bored with herself as the rest of us were. Good riddance!

[natdef_1]

Barack Obama was seated next to a little girl on an airplane trip back to Washington. He turned to her and said, ?Let?s talk. I?ve heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger.?

The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed it slowly and said to The Obama, ?What would you like to talk about??

?Oh, I don?t know,? said the Obama. ?How about What Changes I Should Make To America?? and he smiles.

?OK,? she says. ?That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff ? grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is??

Obama, visibly surprised by the little girl?s intelligence, thinks about it for a second and finally says, ?Hmmm, I have no idea.?

To which the little girl replies, ?Do you really feel qualified to change America when you don?t know ****??

[natdef_1]

Q. Why did Barack Obama register to run for office as a Democrat?
A. The Communist Party doesn?t have enough voters.

[natdef_1]

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average Obama voter.

[midlclass]

or a three second talk with a repub

[jimbobsucks69]

Breaking News. Obama nominated for MVP of the world series. He said he would accept because he stayed at a Holiday INN express last night.

[natdef_1]

Q. Why did Obama hold a séance once he was in the White House?

A. So that he could thank everybody who voted for him.

[jimbobsucks69]

My dead aunt really likes him.

[jimbobsucks69]

When Obama got married instead of saying "I do" he just said 'Present" kinda like his whole senate career

[natdef_1]

Q. What do Obama and Osama have in common?
A. They both have friends who bombed the Pentagon.

[natdef_1]

Like any experienced Chicago politician, Obama would go the cemetary to register voters. One night he came across a grave so old and worn that he couldn't make out the name on the tombstone. The staffer holding the flashlight got impatient and suggested they just move on to the next plot. Obama angrily exclaimed, "This person has a much right to vote as anyone else here!"