President Barack Obama’s newly formed jobs and competitiveness council met for the first time to discuss ways to provide middle-class families economic relief. President Obama implored the group of 22 business leaders to find ways to bolster the economy by jumpstarting hiring and encourage consumer spending. The committee, led by the CEO of General Electric, plans to submit recommendations within 90 days.

President Obama has expressed his concern that only a sector of the country is recovering from the economic recession. While many private sector companies have experienced an increase in profits and earnings in 2010, the American public, particularly middle-class and lower-class Americans, is still suffering a high 9% unemployment rate. As the gap between Americans widens, the recession continues, and Obama’s bid for reelection nears, the President tries to focus his efforts on long-term economic stability. Whether he, even with a high-powered committee, succeeds remains to be seen.