Program affected 13,144 Ohio jobs

COLUMBUS (AP) — The federal economic stimulus package has saved or created more than 13,000 jobs in Ohio, according to a state report released Tuesday.

The preliminary data are part of a national effort by states to calculate the real effect of the stimulus program championed by President Barack Obama, a $787 billion effort meant to jump-start the economy.

Ohio, which is scheduled to get about $8.5 billion in stimulus money over the next several years, has spent $1.6 billion so far — and just $335.6 million of that fell within this week’s reporting deadline, state budget director Pari Sabety said.

The state’s 13,144 stimulus- funded jobs included 3,400 in a program intended to stabilize school budgets and prevent layoffs, although it wasn’t clear how many of these were teachers. Early data from other states showed Obama’s stimulus plan spared tens of thousands of teachers from losing their jobs.

In California, the stimulus was credited with saving or creating 62,000 jobs in public schools and state universities.

Other employment gains in Ohio included 2,296 jobs in a stimulus program that hired people to weatherize homes, businesses and public buildings.

The report also noted that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, which has $278 million in stimulus money to upgrade water and sewer systems, created or retained 213 full-time jobs.

Ohio’s unemployment rate dipped to 10.8 percent in August but remained in double digits for a fifth-straight month, according to the latest data.

Sabety said much of the early stimulus spending in Ohio has gone to Medicaid, unemployment benefits, college Pell grants, food stamp assistance and other social services programs.

States were told to report jobs as full-time equivalents. A job means a full-time, full-year position. So if two half-time jobs are created or retained, they must be reported as one-full time job.

Stimulus spending on highway construction has yet to hit full stride in Ohio, and winter will bring road paving to a halt.

The state, which is overseeing about $1 billion in stimulus money for transportation projects, has awarded contracts on 140 stimulus-funded projects worth about $418.8 million, officials said.

Construction crews broke ground Tuesday on a highway project that is getting the largest investment of stimulus dollars in Ohio — $150 million to complete a nine-mile highway bypass around Nelsonville, in southeast Ohio.

Only a limited amount of work can be done during winter, such as clearing dirt, rock and trees, said Jack Ford, vice president at Beaver Excavating Inc., in Canton, whose company is one of two prime contractors at the site.

“It’s whatever the weather allows us to do,” he said. “Spring is when we’ll really ramp up.”