The number of jobs already created from the federal stimulus monies could just be more than the current 640,000 the Obama administration has said were created or saved. That’s because a number of recipients nationwide that received federal stimulus dollars have not filed the required reports, indicating what the funds were used for and how many people were hired or remained on the job.
Propublica: With mounting criticism over the accuracy of jobs numbers, the White House budget office is scrambling to identify recipients who didn’t report. Vice President Joe Biden said last week that the missing information is unacceptable. And the government’s stimulus watchdog, Earl Devaney, who oversees Recovery.gov, promised to post a list of non-filers in an effort to embarrass them into complying.
In an effort to show the public how taxpayer dollars are spent, Congress required all recipients of stimulus money – including contractors, local governments and nonprofits – to file quarterly progress reports on a government Web site. The reports must contain about 100 pieces of information, including how the recipients have spent the money, how many jobs – and what types – they have created or saved, and how far along the project is.
