Brian Tumulty writes on LoHud.com - “New York’s unemployment rate climbed almost a full percentage point - from 7.8 percent to 8.7 percent - between the February enactment of the economic stimulus package and the most recent jobless estimate for June.

And there’s no sign unemployment will level off quickly, economists say.

But White House officials say the stimulus package, touted as a way to create more than 3 million jobs over two years, remains on track.
The unemployment rate might have risen three-tenths of a percent higher than the current national rate of 9.5 percent without the stimulus legislation, said Jared Bernstein, chief economist for Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden has been assigned by President Barack Obama to oversee implementation of the two-year effort to jump-start the economy.
Bernstein and Edward DeSeve, who also advises Biden on the legislation, declined during a recent briefing with reporters to estimate how many jobs have been saved or created in New York. DeSeve noted that government agencies, local governments and companies that receive stimulus funds will be required to report on jobs attributable to the bill by Oct. 10.”

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