WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama says the U.S. economy is starting to rebound, though some people are still struggling.
A new report says the economy added 200,000 jobs in December. The unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, the lowest in nearly three years.
The jobs report sets a positive tone for Obama in this election year.
The president said: “We have made real progress; now is not the time to stop.” He called on Congress to extend a payroll tax cut.
Obama spoke during a visit to the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The president used a controversial recess appointment earlier this week to circumvent Republicans in the Senate to install the bureau’s director.