Obama: More work needed to spur economic recovery

President Barack Obama said Friday that the economy is improving but more needs to be done to restore jobs after the May report showed private employment growth lagging behind expectations.

"This economy has begun to recover, but there is still more work to be done," he said in an appearance at a trucking company in Hyattsville, Md., adding that "this report is a sign that our economy is getting stronger by the day."

The president acknowledged that most of the new jobs came from Census hires, but remained confident that his administration's policies would spur a recovery.

Obama took a shot at the GOP, saying that the country does not want to go back to the "failed policies of the past," adding, "I don't know about you, but I don't want to go backwards, I want to move forward and I believe the American people want to move forward as well.

"There are going to be some months when people start worrying that we're not out of the blue yet," Obama said, but as long as the country stays the course with the policies in place, he said he is "absolutely positive" the economy will recover.