The US President has stated the nation needs greater investment and enterprise in order to achieve success over the coming years.

Barack Obama told the US Congress that the labor market had changed and had become more competitive, a shift that has proven "painful" for many people.

In his State of the Union address he acknowledged the importance of creating additional positions in the country's economic recovery and of leading the world in innovation, building and education.

"We measure progress by the success of our people. By the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs offer," the president declared, adding he plans to provide employment for Americans "repairing crumbling roads and bridges" and through investment in IT, green technology and other fields.

Unemployment in the US currently stood at 9.4 per cent in December 2010, falling by 0.4 per cent over the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.

Posted by Fiona Summers