Stimulus package to spur high-tech jobs

President Obama's economic stimulus plan could plow at least $30 billion into high-tech areas, a move that could create nearly 1 million jobs just in the first year, according to a new study. One proposal presented by House Democrats this month calls for $37 billion in spending in three high-tech areas: $20 billion to computerize medical records; $11 billion to create smarter electrical grids and $6 billion to expand high-speed Internet access in rural and underserved communities.

Another study prepared for the Obama transition team concluded that putting $30 billion into those three areas would create 900,000 jobs just in the first year, according to Robert D. Atkinson, president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, which did the study.The job-generation estimate by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation translates into more than 30,000 jobs created for each $1 billion of government investment--roughly similar to projections for public works spending.

But proponents of spending on digital infrastructure say the beneficial spillover effects are greater than for conventional public works. The high-tech investments can be compared to the federal building of interstate highways in the 1950s, a program started by President Dwight Eisenhower. The massive highway project spun off many new businesses, including automobiles, national retail chains and suburban communities.

For more on high-tech job creation:
- check out this New York Times article

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