Has The Stimulus Really Saved Millions of Jobs?

This week, Vice President Joe Biden announced that the stimulus is working and has saved millions of jobs, but as constituents, have we really felt its affects?  

Well according to the White House the gross domestic product was 2.7% to 3.2% higher than it would have been without the $787 billion in stimulus money, so I guess that’s a positive, however these projections have come out at the same time as polls that reveal that Americans do not think the stimulus has been successful in creating jobs. 

And they may be right, after all hiring doesn’t seem to have been revved up the way the stimulus claims.

Meanwhile, Biden insists that it’s been working—he said, “I am absolutely confident we are moving in the right direction, absolutely confident,” And I hope he’s right.  $787 billion is a nice chunk of change to throw at a plan that isn’t guaranteed to work.

The number of jobs reported to have been created as a result of the stimulus are simply projections and unfortunately for us “little guys” out there anticipating the results, it may be years before we know the true affects of the stimulus money. 

So are Americans wrong when they say they haven’t felt the affects of the stimulus?  Well, yes and no.  Apparently several corporations have the cash to hire but aren’t—rumor has it that big business groups, like the US Chamber of Commerce, claim that the White House has created so much uncertainty which is causing organizations to hold back when it comes to hiring.

So do we have a catch 22 on our hands?  The government is trying to help increase jobs through the stimulus, but companies are skeptical so they’ve shifted towards saving rather than spending?

Besides a tax incentive to hire workers, what else might encourage companies to start hiring again?  Have any ideas?  Let us know!