US President Barack Obama promised to roll out “new ideas” to boost growth and spur hiring this week as he embarks on economy-focused trips to the Midwest with less than two months until congressional elections. Armed with what he called “positive news” on the jobs front after the Labor Department reported last week that private payrolls climbed 67,000 in August, more than forecast, the president will travel to Wisconsin and Ohio to promote his economic policies, which Republicans argue are ineffective and have added to record budget deficits. “I will be addressing a broader package of new ideas next week,” Obama said Sept. 3 at the White House. The economy is moving in “the right direction; we just have to speed it up.” The hiring by companies eased concerns that the world’s largest economy is sliding back into a recession. The Labor Department report showed overall employment fell 54,000 for a second month and the unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent from 9.5 percent as more people looked for work.