1 The Recovery Act, by itself, saved or created about 6 million job-years, where a job-year is defined as one full-time job for one year. 2  This translates to an average of 1.6 million jobs a year for four years through the end of 2012.pecifically, the Report finds: 1  The Recovery Act, by itself, saved or created about 6 million job-years, where a job-year is defined as one full-time job for one year. 2  This translates to an average of 1.6 million jobs a year for four years through the end of 2012.