"There's no question that it's difficult out there right now," said the president. "Digging ourselves out of the hole we have dug into is not going to be easy."

Ideas for spurring job creation abound at the forum. They range from giving business tax credits for hiring workers to pumping millions into state and local economies. One of the top priorities is extending unemployment benefits.

Tax incentives for job creation are "worthy of further consideration," said Obama, adding that his administration is also set on making a big push in the areas of green jobs.

"We can create new jobs, spur enormous amounts of business opportunities for the clean tech sector, but we're also laying the groundwork for energy independence," said the president.

He said he would announce some new ideas of his own next week.

"We cannot hang back and hope for the best," said Obama. "I am not interested in taking a wait and see approach, when it comes to creating jobs, I want to take any reasonable step to accelerate job creation."

Obama's ideas are likely to include a home-retrofitting proposal modeled on the popular "cash for clunkers" program that has particularly captured Obama's imagination, US media quoted Obama's aides as saying.

Critics see the high-profile forum as nothing more than a public-relations move.

House Republican leaders hosted their own jobs forum on Thursday. "The American People are asking, 'where are the jobs?' but all they getting from Washington Democrats is more spending, more debt, and more policies that hurt small businesses," said Representative John A. Boehner.

(Xinhua News Agency December 4, 2009)