Sorting Those Job-Creation Numbers — ProPublica

Sorting Those Job-Creation Numbers

by Sabrina Shankman

Sept. 16, 2009, 11:48 a.m. EDT

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski speaks with a reporter about Oregon's economic recovery efforts at the kickoff of Oregon's first federally funded stimulus project in March. (flickr user OregonDOT) Today’s roundup of stimulus coverage:

When it comes to the number of jobs created and saved by the stimulus package, it’s all in who you ask. The Wall Street Journal’s “Numbers Guy” reports that different accounting methods are creating drastically different results. We’ve been reporting on the massive guesswork involved too.

Oregon’s taking Washington state’s stimulus money; Washington is getting Oregon’s; and small business owners are getting cranky. Seattle radio station KUOW reports that $3 million in Washington transportation contracts have gone to Oregon contractors. So far, just $900,000 has gone in the opposite direction. One Washington contractor told KUOW he came in second on two bids that went to Oregon companies instead. “I hate to use the words 'sore loser' because I promote my kids not to be that,” he said. “But it's definitely something that you are not happy that you didn't get."

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