DURHAM, NC -- President Barack Obama partially blamed the current 9.1% unemployment rate on ATMs and kiosk-type ticket vending machines during a June 13 news interview for NBC's Today Show. | SEE CLIP
Correspondent Ann Curry asked Obama, "Why at a time when corporate America is enjoying record profits have you been unable to convince businesses to hire more people, Mr. President?"
The president said the U.S. was growing again after "the worst crisis since the Great Depression." He added: "There are some structural issues with our economy where a lot of businesses have learned to become much more efficient with a lot fewer workers. You see it when you go to a bank and you use an ATM, you don't go to a bank teller, or you go to the airport and you're using a kiosk instead of checking in at the gate. So all these things have created changes in the economy."
