STRATHAM, New Hampshire, Aug 6 (AFP) - The White House said Friday that official figures showing shockingly anemic job growth in July meant that "there is more to do" to strengthen US economic growth.
"The job numbers indicate that the economy continues to grow and that the president's policies are working, but that there is more to do," spokeswoman Claire Buchan said as US President George W. Bush travelled here.
Bush has overseen "11 straight months of job increases, unemployment is at its lowest level in nearly three years, but we are not satisfied," she said. "We need to continue pro-job, pro-growth policies."
Government figures showed US employers hired a meager 32,000 extra workers in July, shocking analysts who had generally predicted a gain of 243,000 and shattering expectations of a rebound from sluggish job growth in June.
While the news may hurt Bush's reelection efforts, the president made no direct reference to it in a speech to some 7,000 minority journalists while saying that the US economy was "strong and it's getting stronger."
Instead, he defended the massive tax cuts he pushed through the US Congress "to help people have more money in their pocket, so they would demand additional goods or services" and thus stimulated job growth.
"And the economic growth is strong, and it's getting stronger. And that's good for everybody in America," the president said.
"When I came into office, we had a problem with our economy; it was in a recession. In order to make sure this country is hopeful and people have a better chance to realize their dreams, we need economic growth," he said.