WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will address the state of the economy, including the debt crisis in Europe that's become a drag on the U.S., in remarks at the White House Friday.

The president will also call on Congress to pass proposals that he says would put construction workers, teachers and first responders back to work, the White House said. Obama's statement set for 10:15 a.m. EDT in the White House briefing room comes amid a rough patch for the president and his re-election campaign.

The bleak jobs report out last week showed the economy added just 69,000 jobs in May and the unemployment rate ticked up to 8.2 percent. The dismal jobs numbers weakened Obama's re-election prospects in a race expected to hinge largely on the economy.

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