U.S. TREASURY SECRETARY JOHN SNOW SAID HE EXPECTS GOVERNMENT DATA FRIDAY ON JOB CREATION TO REFLECT A STRONG ECONOMY THAT WILL INCREASE FEDERAL TAX REVENUES AND HELP TO SHRINK BUDGET DEFICITS. TESTIFYING BEFORE A HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE TREASURY'S PROPOSED 2007 BUDGET, SNOW SAID HE BELIEVES THE U.S. ECONOMY WOULD CONTINUE TO GROW AS LONG AS CONGRESS EXTENDS TAX CUTS. 'IT'S CONTINUING TO GAIN STRENGTH. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE JOBS NUMBERS THAT WE'LL BE REPORTING ON FRIDAY. I THINK THEY'LL BE GOOD NUMBERS,' SNOW TOLD LAWMAKERS. THE LABOR DEPARTMENT IS SCHEDULED TO ISSUE PAYROLL DATA FOR FEBRUARY ON FRIDAY. ECONOMISTS FORECAST A MARCH INCREASE OF 190,000 JOBS, COMPARED TO A 243,000 GAIN IN FEBRUARY. SNOW ALSO SAID HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO STRONG NUMBERS FOR FIRST-QUARTER GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT DUE LATER THIS MONTH, NOTING THAT PRIVATE SECTOR ECONOMISTS FORECAST GROWTH OF 4 TO 5 PERCENT.
