WASHINGTON, April 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday that the U.S. economic recovery is moving in the right direction, calling a report of 3.2 percent first quarter GDP growth "an important milepost on the road to recovery."

The Commerce Department reported that the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States, grew at a pace of 3.2 percent in the January-March quarter after an increase of 5.6 percent in the fourth quarter in 2009.

But the president reaffirmed that efforts to help businesses create new jobs remains his focus.

"We've still got a long way to go on our road to recovery," Obama said. "But we're going to keep doing everything we can to help our businesses."

The report marked the nation's third straight quarterly gain.

Unemployment, currently at 9.7 percent, is expected to keep at high level in 2010.