Career Advice & News Center

The national unemployment rate has been a major news story since the beginning of the recession in 2008. The Obama administration has been trying to take as many steps as possible to ensure that Americans can get back to work. One of the more controversial moves by the government was the $814 billion stimulus package that was created in 2009. While some have argued that the stimulus spending has not created enough jobs to make a dent in the nation's unemployment, economists are now changing their tune with their most recent findings.

A recent study has determined that the stimulus package has created between 2.5 million and 3.6 million jobs since its inception, according to USA Today. However, while these findings may have impressed economists, the American public is still frustrated by the lack of opportunities. The news provider reports that 59 percent of respondents disapprove of the way President Barack Obama is handling the economy.

Researchers of the study suggest that if the stimulus bill had not been created, the national unemployment rate would be at 11 percent today. Currently, 9.5 percent of the nation's citizens are out of work. Surveyors were quick to point out that the public has to make its own decision as to whether or not the stimulus is working.

"Ultimately, people have to use their judgment here," economist John Taylor told the news provider. "There's a difficulty of knowing what would have happened otherwise."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently 14.6 million Americans who are out of work. It is also estimated that there are more than 8.6 million Americans who have been out of work for at least six months.