White House says jobs report shows signs of economic growth

Friday's jobs report shows the U.S. economy is improving, but Congress needs to act on policies that promote growth and avoid deep cuts slated to take effect next month, said Alan Krueger, a White House economist.

"The administration continues to urge Congress to move toward a sustainable federal budget in a responsible way that balances revenue and spending, and replaces the sequester (defense spending cuts, while making critical investments in the economy that promote growth and job creation," Krueger said in a blog post.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton; Editing by James Dalgleish)