Mass. Ranks Seventh In Stimulus Spending

Correction appended — Massachusetts is spending federal stimulus money faster than most states.

Patrick administration officials say the Bay State has been awarded $4.4 billion in stimulus cash and so far has spent more than $2 billion, or 45 percent, of that funding.

Secretary of Administration and Finance Leslie Kirwan told a legislative oversight committee Thursday afternoon that the state is seventh overall in getting stimulus money to work, behind California, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and Nevada.

"A significant number of jobs have been created and retained," Kirwan said.

Asked how many jobs, Kirwan estimated thousands. The tradeoff, as WBUR first reported this spring, is that most of the stimulus money meant for fiscal year 2011, which begins next July, has already been spent.

Correction: An earlier report by The Associated Press incorrectly stated the ranking of Massachusetts among other states that received and spent federal stimulus money.