In his weekly address, U.S. President Barack Obama is focusing on jobs as he calls on Congress to back plans to boost employment.br br (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:br br "In the 2000s alone, we lost more than one-third of all American manufacturing jobs. One in three. And when the housing bubble burst, workers in the construction industry were hit harder than just about anybody. The good news is, today, our manufacturers have added more than 620,000 jobs over the last four years - the first sustained growth in manufacturing jobs since the 1990s."br br Obama is calling on Congress to back plans to create high-tech manufacturing hubs and infrastructure projects.br br (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING:br br "There's a lot we can do if we work together.