US President Barack Obama challenged Congress to keep the economic recovery going as new data showed unemployment down to its lowest rate in three years. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3%, beating analyst forecasts, and was down from 8.5% in December, BBC News informs.
Speaking at a fire station in Virginia, the president warned Congress: "Do not slow down the recovery that we're on."
A Department of Labor report showed 243,000 new jobs were created in January, the highest in nine months.
The figures are a political boost for Mr Obama, whose re-election prospects hinge on a sustained economic recovery.
"Now, these numbers will go up and down in the coming months, and there's still far too many Americans who need a job, or need a job that pays better than the one they have now," Mr Obama said.
"But the economy is growing stronger. The recovery is speeding up. And we've got to do everything in our power to keep it going."
"Now is not is not the time for self-inflicted wounds to our economy. I want to send a clear message for Congress. Do not slow down the recovery that we are on, don't muck it up."
Mr Obama also urged congressional Republicans to pass legislation extending a payroll tax break for 160 million Americans through to the end of the year.
Leading Republicans acknowledged the improvement in the labour market, while adding that even more could be done to improve the state of the US economy.
As always, the numbers are complex. But it's hard not to see this as good news - for the economy and Barack Obama's re-election chances.
The figures don't take account of those who are no longer looking for work. And the Congressional Budget Office has warned that the rate of unemployment may creep back up during 2012, growth will be sluggish and trillion dollar deficits aren't about to disappear.
But you can't argue with a quarter-million new jobs, or with an unemployment rate that is dropping. Right now, it's back where it was when Barack Obama took office three years ago.
How does this translate politically? If this pattern continues, it's hard to see how he isn't heading for a second term. The Republican message, for now, is "the recovery could have been so much swifter without this president". That is a much harder message to sell than what is actually happening.
