U.S. President Barack Obama goes to Capitol Hill later Thursday to outline his plans for creating jobs, after recent figures showed job creation at a standstill, threatening a possible second recession.

The president will deliver his nationally televised address to a joint session of Congress.

The White House has released very few details about Mr. Obama's plan. The proposal, reported to amount to about $300 billion, could include incentives for small businesses to hire, an extension of insurance benefits for the unemployed, and a renewal of payroll tax cuts that have allowed U.S. workers to keep more of their earnings.

The president is also expected to call for spending to fix the country's aging and crumbling roads, bridges and schools — projects that could also create jobs.

The Democratic president's plan is likely to meet with considerable opposition from Republican lawmakers who are opposed to increased spending by the debt-ridden government.

In advance of the speech, some Republicans say the proposals represent a reprise of the president's failed economic policies.

While the president's Democratic party dominates the Senate, his Republican opponents have the majority in the larger, more volatile House of Representatives.

A survey of 1,000 people, released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center, shows that 43 percent of those responding consider the job situation to be the nation's top economic concern — far more than issues such as the budget deficit and financial markets.

The country's economy has virtually stalled, and federal figures show that no new jobs were created in August. About 14 million workers are unemployed and millions more are working part-time or in jobs they consider below their skill level.