Starbucks is expanding an unusual effort to create jobs through small business loans, which the company launched last fall after chief executive Howard Schultz lambasted politicians for not doing more to fix the economy. So far the Create Jobs for USA program has raised about $11.5 million, including about $2.8 million from customers who bought brightly colored wristbands along with their lattes or donated to the program online.

Starbucks says its analysis shows the money raised so far could create or retain about 4,000 jobs.

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Access the full story here. (Also contains 7.33 min video clip Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz’s call on 8/24/2011 for corporations to desist from political contributions; source: CNBC)