Las Vegas NowReid: More than 6,000 NV Jobs Saved by Stimulus

Reid: More than 6,000 NV Jobs Saved by Stimulus

The stimulus bill passed by Congress earlier this year has created or saved more than 6,000 Nevada jobs -- and even more when a business debt restructuring provision is factored, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's office said Friday.

But a spokesman for Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons questioned the senate majority leader's assertion, saying it's hard to calculate what would have been without the $2.2 billion infusion from the federal government.

According to figures released by the senate majority leader's office, the state Department of Education and System of Higher Education each claim more than 2,000 teaching and support jobs were helped by the federal package.

In all, Reid spokesman Jon Summers said 6,134 jobs were saved or created so far, 476 more than reported Friday on the federal government's stimulus Web site.

Summers attributed the difference in reported figures to lag time in getting the newest information posted on the government site.

Gibbons spokesman Dan Burns, however, said trying to link specific jobs to federal aid is "a tricky question."

"We're still in the process of implementing them," he said of the provisions included in the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Burns said a "enormous portions" of money the state received went to education and human services, such as Medicaid and unemployment insurance.

"All that money is injected into the local economy," he said. "That's a good thing. I'm not sure how many jobs you create doing that."

Summers said job numbers released by Reid's office came from agencies within the governor's administration.

He added that the numbers do not include 31,000 jobs Harrah's Entertainment executives have said would have been lost if not for another stimulus provision pertaining to long-term debt restructuring.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)