Obama’s jobs claim is just a guess-timate

Now that it’s been 100 days since the economic stimulus package was signed into law, President Barack Obama is praising the measure for its job-creating impact.

“In these last few months, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has saved or created nearly 150,000 jobs — jobs building solar panels and wind turbines, making homes and buildings more energy efficient,” Obama said during a visit to Las Vegas. “They’re the jobs of teachers and police officers and nurses who have not been laid off as a consequence of this Recovery Act. They’re the jobs fixing roads and bridges, jobs at start-ups and small businesses, and jobs that will put thousands of young Americans to work this summer.”

We were intrigued by that number of 150,000 jobs. Note the crucial point that it’s jobs created or “saved.” That means they’re counting people who have avoided layoffs because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. How do you count that?

See

our analysis here

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