Stimulus funded nearly 683,000 jobs in first quarter

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The White House's $787 billion stimulus plan funded 682,779 jobs in the first quarter, administration officials said Friday.

The figure captures the number of people whose jobs were directly paid for with stimulus money, such as teachers, cops and road construction workers. It's based on more than 179,000 reports filed by state, local and corporate recipients.

The number does not tally jobs created indirectly through companies buying supplies for stimulus projects, people spending their tax cuts, increased unemployment benefits and the like.

Stimulus jobs are reported on a quarterly basis and the figures are not cumulative. However, stimulus dollars awarded and distributed are tracked on a cumulative basis. A total of $205 billion has been awarded since the Recovery Act was passed in Feb. 2009 and $62 billion has been distributed to recipients.

In the fourth quarter of last year the stimulus plan funded about 600,000 jobs.