The mathematics of job creation

Reid Cherlin explains:

According to a poll released last week, 51 percent of the citizenry would support a “large-scale federally subsidized nationwide construction program” to help boost the economy; meanwhile, America’s roads and highways are overburdened and under-maintained. Not coincidentally, President Obama’s new jobs proposal calls for $50 billion to be spent on infrastructure projects.

Following a rough 'back-of-an-envelope' calculation regarding the relationship between road construction and job creation, Cherlin proudly concludes: "It’s oversimplifying, certainly, but putting all the numbers together yields this ratio: 1 Mile = 9.2 Jobs."