Obama welcomes jobs figures, says more work to do

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Friday welcomed the latest monthly US jobs figures but said there was still more work to do and the econony would face "ups and downs along the way."

Obama, speaking at a White House forum on women and the economy, stressed that the Labor Department report for March showed that employers had added 120,000 jobs. At the same time, however, the rise in US payrolls for the month was lower than private economists had predicted.

"It is clear to every American that there will still be ups and downs along the way and that we've got a lot more work to do," Obama said.