White House sees 10 percent joblessness soon

updated 3:55 p.m. ET June 22, 2009

WASHINGTON - The White House says double-digit unemployment is coming sooner than previously acknowledged.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says the president expects the nation will reach 10 percent unemployment within the next few months.

In an interview with Bloomberg last week, President Barack Obama said he expected the nation to reach 10 percent unemployment sometime this year.

The current unemployment rate reached a 25-year high of 9.4 percent in May.

While many analysts expect the recession to end by late summer, they warn that unemployment will stay high into next year.

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