WH: Jobs report shows healing economy

President Obama. / JIM WATSON / AFP / Getty Images

With a new jobs report out showing the addition of 157,000 new jobs last month, the White House is touting "further evidence" that the U.S. economy is improving, but noted the importance of implementing "the policies needed to build an economy that works for the middle class as we continue to dig our way out of the deep hole that was caused by the severe recession that began in December 2007."

"While more work remains to be done, today's employment report provides further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to heal from the wounds inflicted by the worst downturn since the Great Depression," said Alan Krueger, chairman of the president's council of economic advisers, in a blog post. "Today's report is a reminder of the importance of the need for Congress to act to avoid self-inflicted wounds to the economy."

• January jobs report: The long slog continues

The jobs report, released monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, revised upward its employment figures from November and December by 127,000 jobs.

The report also showed the unemployment rate ticking up from 7.8 percent to 7.9 percent.

The White House pointed to growth among jobs in retail trade, construction, health care and social assistance, professional and business services, and restaurants and bars.

But Krueger emphasized, as he does every month, that due to the volatility of the monthly employment and unemployment figures, "it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report."

[MrReasonable1]

Wow, the White House spreads obvious lies, and CBS News just reports it. Is this a news organization or simply the White House stenographers? If one of the major news networks decided to actuslly investigate and report accurately on this White House, their veiership would double overnight. Is their devotion to Obama actually more important to them than profits?

[logictoo]

BENJORDAN does not tolerate typographical error or poor grammar and such. I doubt if he has a problem with Obama's poor grammar. By the way BENJORDAN, Does the interest rate have any effect on the local economies or the stock market??? Is it possible that the interest rate couold be driving the stock market?

[Snakedogg77]

I guess he's saying flipping burgers and fattening America is a job.

[WWIIWWII]

They have got to be joking. It is a depression where I am at.. You need to count the unemployed people who are not longer looking for work in the traditional sense. They have been drinking their own Kool Aid.

[wfw3536]

You are right. They did not report that last month 169,000 folks gave up looking for work and dropped off of the unemployment benefit roles. Or, how about that the last quarter we find out we had a zero GDP growth, or that two quarters in a row equals another recession. Maybe the press and White House believe folks are foolish enough to believe their spin, but most folks know what is happening in the real world, and the economy is in tough shape.

[pedalit]

not just a few months ago, 157,000 was only enough to offset those entering the job market every month. now it's considered a sign of a healing economy? how much lower can the bar be set? obama was already reelected-so let's lose the spin and get real now

[mr--mustant]

OMNIBUS66 400,000 NEW REQUST FOR UNEPLOYMENT BENIFITS LAST MOUTH UNEPLOYMENT UP TO 7.9% FROM 7.8% AND THE GDP IS HEADING SOUTH AN YOU THINK THE ECONOMY IS BETTER RELLY

[Ulgnud]

All we have to do is look around at our friends and neighbors. Rising prices, taxes, ripoff energy prices, and Obama wants to dump 11 million more unemployed illegal invaders through Amnesty to our millions of citizens still trying to find work. Does the W/H actually believe the lies they are spouting, or do they really think we can't see what is going on around us? This is what happens when you put a fiscally irresponsible socialist fool in office. No whining from Obama voters allowed. You got what you voted for.

[rickcham]

More ******** from the blamer-in-chief. These clowns are a joke.

[cptdeuce]

So true, but many in this country can be bought off for very little.

[Newbigtech2]

And we all know what happened to the promises made in 2008 and the money that really went no where.. It was all for not.

Where they could have followed the plan as outlined during the PRIMARY and General election.. OPEN door policy.. No Lobbyists in the White House, Pockets of Prosperity in the rebuilding of DETROIT and NEW ORLEANS..

RE BUILD the infra Structure.. These Clowns had all the answers...
Too bad we are worse off now than before OBAMA and CREW took over.

[tsigili]

That's an interesting analysis........increasing unemployment is an IMPROVEMENT??????

Is he really that crazy!

[wh0622]

I love to listen to the White House say that we are improving every month but the amount of people hired don't make up for the additional people added to the labor force. I would like to see a reall account of the true unemployment and the jobs that are actually created that a person or family can live with.