According to a story from the Associated Press, the Recovery Act funds spent on roads and bridges have not helped the sagging unemployment rate.
Here's an exceprt:
AP's analysis, which was reviewed by independent economists at five universities, showed that strategy hasn't affected unemployment rates so far. And there's concern it won't work the second time. For its analysis, the AP examined the effects of road and bridge spending in communities on local unemployment; it did not try to measure results of the broader aid that also was in the first stimulus like tax cuts, unemployment benefits or money for states.
"My bottom line is, I'd be skeptical about putting too much more money into a second stimulus until we've seen broader effects from the first stimulus," said Aaron Jackson, a Bentley University economist who reviewed AP's analysis.
For the full report, click here. A Daily News story last week showed that stimulus funds have been slow-moving locally.