- The Washington Times - Monday, May 6, 2013

President Obama is back on the jobs trail, heading to Austin, Texas, on Thursday to kick off a new series of stops aimed at promoting his new economic plan.

Mr. Obama is due to speak at a high school in Austin as well as at a technology company, Reuters reported. And he’s got one-on-ones planned with entrepreneurs, the news organization said.

His trip comes amid growing calls for more federal focus on jobs. The president has fought off criticisms since his first administration that he’s given plenty of mouth service to the economy while pushing policies that drive down growth and failing to meet with task force members who were supposed to advise the White House on job creation.

“Things are getting better, but our economic recovery is not as strong as it could be and far too many middle-class families are still struggling,” said Josh Earnest, Mr. Obama’s deputy press secretary, in the Reuters report. “There are thing Washington could be doing right now to help American businesses, schools and workers.”

The national unemployment rate fell to 7.5 percent, but economic analysts say that falling rate is due to more people leaving the job market. And Fox News on Monday reported that the number of Americans taking part-time jobs to make ends meet is on the rise.

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide