Jobs will take centre stage in President Jacob Zuma's state of the nation address this week, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said on Tuesday.

"Employment creation is going to be a priority," he told journalists in Johannesburg.

Mantashe was briefing the media on the outcome of an extended national executive committee meeting held on Monday.

He said while the content of the state of the nation address was the president's prerogative, he anticipated jobs would feature strongly.

"It will be a priority because it is a priority."

On the "decent work" debate, Mantashe said the ANC's 2009 election manifesto spelled out creating more jobs, decent work and sustainable livelihoods.

"All of these are in the manifesto, we must do all of them."

He said last month that creating work was a priority and that calling for the jobs to be "decent" was "putting the cart before the horse".

Mantashe said the ANC was confident Thursday's state of the nation address would stem from resolutions taken at the party's national general council held last year, its leadership lekgotla and January 8 statement.

"We are also convinced that the president will articulate a clear programme of action by government in the further implementation of our five priorities... job creation, education, health, rural development, land and agrarian reform, as well as fighting crime and corruption."