Obama asks private sector to create more jobs
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President Obama today told business, union and economic leaders that it would be the private sector that creates jobs and moves the nation out of the recession.
“I believe government has a critical role” in creating conditions for growth, Obama told the more than 130 participants at the presidential jobs summit. But “true recovery will come from the private sector,’he said.
After a week when official Washington was focused on Afghanistan (and, seemingly, on gate-crashers at a White House state dinner), Obama turned his attention back to job creation, what he has said would be his administration’s key priority. On Friday, the president will continue the jobs theme with a visit to Allentown, Pa.
With a national unemployment rate of 10.2%, Obama said, “I am open to every demonstrably good idea.” But he added that government faced limited resources.
“I don’t want to just brainstorm up at 30,000 feet,” Obama said, calling on the business CEOs, union leaders and academics to come up with practical ideas that will stimulate jobs.
“I’m not interested in taking a wait-and-see approach to creating jobs,” he said.
Obama noted that some might view such summits as having limited value.
“I don’t mind skepticism,” Obama said. “If I listened to the skeptics I wouldn’t be here.”
--Michael Muskal
