(Repeats to broaden distribution)

By Lisa Lambert

WASHINGTON, June 23 (Reuters) - Capital works projects funded by the U.S. economic stimulus plan created or saved more than 21,000 jobs by the end of May, according to a report released Tuesday by a House of Representatives committee, showing that the pace of stimulus job creation has quickened.

Utah accounted for nearly 10 percent of the jobs -- 2,041, all of which are involved in highway repairs.

Four other states have created or saved more than 1,000 jobs, but 13 states count no new jobs created.

At the end of April, states, territories and the District of Columbia reported to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that only 1,288 jobs had been created or saved by the water, highway and transit components of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

President Barack Obama pushed to dedicate $38 billion in the $787 billion plan to capital projects that could be started immediately, in the hopes of allaying painfully high unemployment levels in construction and related work.

A few states, such as Arkansas and Florida, have already completed stimulus projects. But those capital works represent a small handful when compared to those that have been put out to bid, put under contract, or begun -- 7,790.

Illinois, which has yet to complete any of its stimulus capital works, has started the most projects at 542.