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STIMULUS WATCH: Obama recovery plan linked to 30,000 jobs; South, Southwest benefit most

WASHINGTON — Businesses in the South and Southwest benefited most from the first federal contracts awarded under President Barack Obama’s stimulus program, according to initial data released by a government oversight board. Military construction and environmental cleanup contributed to a boost of about 30,000 jobs.

STIMULUS WATCH: South sees construction bump; data link 30,000 jobs to Obama recovery plan

WASHINGTON — Businesses reported creating or saving more than 30,000 jobs in the first months of President Barack Obama’s stimulus program, according to initial data released Thursday by a government oversight board. Military construction led the way, and states in the South and Southwest saw the biggest boost.

Report card links 30,000 jobs to Obama stimulus; South benefits from construction bump

WASHINGTON — Businesses report creating or saving more than 30,000 jobs in the first months of President Barack Obama’s stimulus program, with military construction leading the way and states in the South and Southwest seeing the biggest boost, according to a government oversight board.

In first stimulus report card, federal contractors link 30,000 jobs to Obama rescue plan

WASHINGTON — Businesses receiving federal contracts under President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus program reported creating or saving more than 30,000 jobs in the first months of the program, according to data released Thursday by a government oversight board.

Early statistics show teachers gaining the most from Obama’s stimulus plan by avoiding layoffs

Teachers benefit from job-saving stimulus spending

Teachers, construction workers to drive job figures in historic collection of stimulus data

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan spared tens of thousands of teachers from losing their jobs, state officials said Monday amid a nationwide effort to calculate the effect of Washington’s $787 billion recovery package.

STIMULUS WATCH: Youth unemployment high despite US program; critic says ‘too little, too late’

FRESNO, Calif. — The Obama administration’s economic stimulus program to find jobs for thousands of teenagers this summer couldn’t overcome one of the bleakest job markets in more than 60 years that had desperate adults competing for the same kind of work.

White House cautiously optimistic in first stimulus report, says 1 million jobs saved, created

WASHINGTON — White House economists said Thursday that the Obama administration’s recovery efforts have saved or created more than 1 million jobs, an estimate that underscored a cautiously optimistic forecast about the direction of the economy.

In first stimulus report, White House economists say recovery efforts saved, created 1M jobs

WASHINGTON — White House economists said Thursday that the Obama administration’s recovery efforts have saved or created more than one million jobs so far, an optimistic report that economists cautioned was preliminary and uncertain.

Obama’s ‘green jobs’ adviser Van Jones resigns amid controversy over past statements

WASHINGTON — White House environmental adviser Van Jones, embroiled in a controversy over past inflammatory statements, resigned after what he called a “vicious smear campaign against me.”

Study finds rapidly graying US work force as older Americans hold onto jobs during recession

WASHINGTON — Older Americans will make up virtually all of the growth in the U.S. work force in the coming years as a nearly unprecedented number hold onto jobs and younger people decide to stay in school.

Labor Secretary Solis green jobs hiring will pick up soon, become bigger slice of work force

LAS VEGAS — Hiring in the alternative energy industry will pick up in the next 12 months, though it will take more time before so-called green-jobs will become a bigger part of the U.S. job market, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said Monday.

US stock futures mixed in narrow range as investors await reports on jobs, retail sales

NEW YORK — U.S. stock futures are mixed in a narrow range as investors refrain from making big bets ahead of reports on retail sales and the labor market.

Dollar surge fades as earnings, jobs data boost recovery hope, revive taste for riskier assets

NEW YORK — The dollar gave up some midweek gains Thursday, fading again as better-than-expected corporate earnings and a downward trend in unemployment data rallied demand for stocks, emerging-market investments and other “riskier” investments.

ISM says service sector contracts at slowest pace since Oct.; recovery likely to be slow

NEW YORK — The U.S. service sector shrank last month at the slowest pace since late last year and orders to U.S. factory orders rose in April, but the improvements were incremental and economists say a real recovery will be long and slow.

Obama talks up wind power, green jobs in Iowa, state that launched him toward White House

NEWTON, Iowa — Marking Earth Day with a pitch for his energy plan, President Barack Obama on Wednesday called for a “new era of energy exploration in America” and argued that his proposal would help the economy and the environment at once.

Women’s college basketball gets plenty of A’s on report card for diversity in coaching hires

INDIANAPOLIS — Women’s college basketball is getting good marks in racial diversity for its coaching hires.