Stimulus: Construction Jobs Impact Pegged at 80,000

A new federal scorecard says the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has preserved or created 640,329 jobs so far, including more than 80,000 in construction. An Oct. 30 report from the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board says those jobs were generated by $160 billion of the ARRA funds and tax breaks made available through Sept. 30. An additional $179 billion in ARRA aid isn’t covered by the board’s report. The White House says when that additional amount is factored in, the jobs impact rises to more than one million. House GOP Leader John Boehner (Ohio) continues to contend that ARRA isn’t working. Vice President Joe Biden says, “There is too much economic hardship remaining.” But he adds, “We’re moving in the right direction.”