Solis: Obama focused on jobs

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- The administration is focused on job creation, U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said, rejecting union criticism of President Obama's efforts to grow jobs.

Solis' defense of Obama's work on job retention and creation Wednesday was in response to criticism last week by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, who said the president hasn't offered daring enough solutions to improve the economy, The Hill reported.

"[The] last 2 1/2 years I have spent a tremendous amount of time ramping, reforming and reinventing some of our job-creating programs to strengthen them, to better coordinate them with our partners in the field," Solis said during a breakfast meeting sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor.

The former California congresswoman said the administration often responds positively to labor's concerns.

"We have good conversations with the labor movement," Solis said. "I respect Mr. Trumka. I don't always agree with everything he says."