US President Barack Obama has appealed to the opposition Republican party to back his plans to boost the US economy, ahead of a major speech to Congress on Thursday.
Speaking at a Labor Day rally in Detroit, Mr Obama said he will announce measures to get America back to work.
Last Friday, new data showed there had been no improvement in US unemployment.
The president hinted his measures would include a scheme to upgrade infrastructure and extend payroll tax cuts for working families, the BBC reports.
He called for the "straight shooters in Congress" to support his plans and ratcheted up political pressure on Republicans, urging them to prove they will fight just as hard for tax cuts for middle-class families they do for oil companies.
The White House has clashed repeatedly with Republicans in Congress since Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in 2010 mid-term elections.
A bitter fight over raising the US debt ceiling ended in a last-minute compromise in July, and more partisan disagreement is expected over the key issue of jobs.
