Obama's remarks:
"Good morning. In a few moments, I’ll sign what’s called the HIRE Act – a jobs bill that will encourage businesses to hire and help put Americans back to work. Before I do, I’d like to say a few words about what this jobs bill will mean for workers, businesses, and America’s economic recovery.
"There are a number of ways to look at an economic recovery. Through the eyes of economists, you look at the different stages of recovery. You look at whether an economy has begun to grow. At whether businesses have begun to hire temporary workers or increase the hours of existing workers. At whether businesses, small and large, have begun to hire full-time employees again.
"That’s how economists measure a recovery – and by those measures, we are beginning to move in the right direction. But through the eyes of most Americans, recovery is about something more fundamental: Do I have a decent job? Can I provide for my family? Do I feel a sense of financial security?
"The great recession took a terrible toll on the middle class, and on our economy as a whole. For every one of the over 8 million people who lost a job in recent years, there’s a story of struggle; of a family forced to choose between paying the electric bill, or the car insurance, or a daughter’s college tuition; of vacations, weddings, and retirements postponed.
"But here’s the good news: a consensus is forming that, partly because of the necessary – and often unpopular – measures we took over the past year, our economy is growing again and we may soon be adding jobs instead of losing them. The jobs bill I’m signing today is intended to help accelerate this process.
Read the rest at Politico
Christina Romer:
