Commerce Secretary John Bryson urged corporate America on Thursday to open its pocketbook and start making the investments necessary to put millions of Americans back to work.

"Having run a large business, I understand that if you've got cash available, it can be tempting to sit on it," the former chief executive of Edison International, a California utility, said in a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

But "consumer demand will never rebound until more Americans have good jobs. The kind of jobs that build the skills that will let them keep learning - and earning - for a lifetime," Bryson said.

In his first major speech since becoming commerce secretary in October, Bryson acknowledged there were plenty of reasons for companies to be cautious with funds, ranging from economic turmoil in Europe to "dysfunction in Washington."