ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) - Jobs figures released on Friday show the U.S. economy is growing and healing, President Barack Obama said, calling on Congress to pass a payroll tax extension and avoid sabotaging the recovery.

"The economy is growing stronger. The recovery is speeding up. And we've got to do everything in our power to keep it going," he told an audience in a northern Virginia firehouse.

"Now is not the time for self-inflicted wounds to our economy," Obama said, describing his message to Congress as: "Do not slow down the recovery that we're on. Don't muck it up."

(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick and Alister Bull)