Obama seeks to create jobs in manufacturing, infrastructure

WASHINGTON, March 1 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said he has launched two programs aimed at creating jobs in the manufacturing and infrastructure fields.

Obama's announcement came Saturday during his weekly address.

"Hi everybody. In my State of the Union Address, I said that the best measure of opportunity is access to a good job. And after the worst recession of our lifetimes, our businesses have created eight and a half million new jobs in the last four years," Obama said.

Obama said that since the 2000s, one in three manufacturing jobs have been lost, but that over the past four years, 620,000 manufacturing jobs have been created.

"Still, the economy has changed. If we want to attract more good manufacturing jobs to America, we've got to make sure we're on the cutting edge of new manufacturing technologies and techniques. And in today's global economy, first-class jobs gravitate to first-class infrastructure," Obama said.

"That's why, on Tuesday, I launched two new high-tech manufacturing hubs -- places where businesses and universities will partner to turn groundbreaking research into real-world goods Made in America. So far, we've launched four of these hubs, where our workers can master 3-D printing, energy-efficient electronics, lightweight metals, and digital manufacturing -- all technologies that can help ensure a steady stream of good jobs well into the 21st century.

"Then on Wednesday, I launched a new competition to build 21st century infrastructure -- roads and bridges, mass transit, more efficient ports, and faster passenger rail. Rebuilding America won't just attract new businesses; it will create good construction jobs that can't be shipped overseas," the president said.