WASHINGTON: Forget abortion and same-sex marriage: Republican Mitt Romney has made a crisp pivot toward the economy, and Friday's poor jobs numbers are providing the latest anti-Obama fodder to boost his White House bid.

During the bruising primary race Romney often found himself in open conflict with rivals Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, who pressed the frontrunner on contentious social issues in an effort to make him appear out of step with core conservative voters.

But ever since he outlasted all Republican comers to become the presumptive nominee, Romney and his surrogates have zeroed in on what resonates with a broader swathe of Americans: their pocketbooks.

The shift has been dramatic, particularly in the past week, with Team Romney issuing a barrage of web videos and ads criticising President Barack Obama's attacks on his rival's record as head of private equity firm Bain Capital.

Republicans have repeatedly stressed that “Obamanomics” have left corporate America skittish and crying out for policies that would remove the uncertainty over tax rates and regulations that weigh down on innovation, investment and ultimately job creation.

Harsh critiques swelled to a crescendo Friday, after the Labour Department announced the US economy added just 69,000 jobs in May, far fewer than expected, and nudging the unemployment rate up to 8.2 per cent.

Romney, a multimillionaire former businessman and investor, called the figures “devastating,” saying they were part of a “cascade” of economic woes.

“Slowing GDP growth, plunging consumer confidence, an increase in unemployment claims, and now another dismal jobs report all stand as a harsh indictment of the president's handling of the economy,” he said.

“It is now clear to everyone that President Obama's policies have failed to achieve their goals and that the Obama economy is crushing America's middle class.”Republican leaders in Congress eagerly piled on. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor called the jobs figures “pathetic.”

“It really cries out for us to actually try something new now,” he told reporters.

Cantor and others did what Romney surrogates have done for weeks now: remind voters of Obama's 2009 assessment that if he didn't turn the economy around within his first term, he shouldn't deserve a second.

“Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, are looking for work, and it's time for us to change course and to have real policies that will put Americans back to work,” said House Speaker John Boehner as he laid blame for the wobbly recovery squarely on the president.

Boehner also blasted Obama for again hitting the campaign trail — he headed on Friday to Minnesota to speak on the economy and to hold political fundraisers — rather than buckling down on issues at hand.

“Instead of another campaign speech, the president might want to engage with Democrats and Republicans here on Capitol Hill to handle the big policies that are affecting our economy,” a frustrated Boehner said, citing looming tax battles, budget cuts and a $16 trillion national debt.

“Maybe the president ought to get out of the badminton game and get into the rugby game that's right in front of him.” Romney was just as blunt in an interview with CBS News that aired early on Friday.

Asked what grade he'd give Obama, Romney pounced: “Oh, an F, no question.” He also spoke of his appearance on Thursday outside the California factory of failed solar panel manufacturer Solyndra, which went bankrupt despite huge government loans.

Republicans routinely point to Solyndra as a glaring example of Obama's “crony capitalism” and unnecessary meddling in the free market.

Romney said it was a serious “conflict of interest” for Obama to take “$500 million of taxpayer money and devote it to a business which is owned by major campaign contributors.”

On the campaign trail Romney stresses his business experience would be a game changer enabling him to steady the economic ship more quickly and convincingly than Obama has.

“That kind of fundamental understanding, I think the president is lacking,” Romney said. —AFP