Could Senate jobs bill put Americans back to work?
The bill is expected to cost around 80 billion U.S. dollars and may be voted on next week, following the Feb. 15-19 President's Day recess.
But while Democrats hope the bill will boost employment, critics panned it as dud, saying it would do nothing to jolt the economy back to life.
Among critics' qualms is the bill's centerpiece -- a tax credit for small businesses that hire new employees.
Opponents said it could spur businesses to lay off workers and hire new ones to take advantage of the tax benefits.
The idea has been tried in the past -- it didn't work then and won't work now, they say.
Anne Kim, director of the economics program at Third Way, a liberal think tank, says that's a cynical view.
"I'm sure that if this passes, there will be safeguards to prevent that kind of gaming from taking place," she said.
A bigger concern, she said
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Timing is also critical -- if the credit comes before the recovery kicks in, there may not be enough labor demand to keep those workers employed.
While U.S. unemployment figures declined slightly in January -- from 10 percent in December to 9.7 percent -- millions of Americans are still out of work.
And economists said the "underemployment rate" -- a measure of part- time workers who would prefer full time work but can't find it -- painted a more accurate picture, at around 17 percent.
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Incentives for states to increase construction projects also make up a prominent portion of the bill.
