Washington - The unexpectedly high US job losses in June offered "sobering news" that the United States is still stuck in a deep recession, US President Barack Obama said Thursday.

"Our economy is still having a tough time getting moving," Obama said after a White House meeting with business leaders from the alternative energy sector.

The US Labour Department earlier Friday said the country's unemployment rate climbed to 9.5 per cent and 467,000 jobs were shed in June. The figures were much worse than expected and a sharp increase from May.

"While there are continuing signs that the recession is slowing, obviously this is little comfort" to those that have lost their jobs, Obama said. He touted "green jobs" as a means of pulling the US out of recession.

The unemployment rate climbed from 9.4 per cent in May, when only 322,000 jobs were lost, and is at its highest level since 1983.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said unemployment would "definitely" hit 10 per cent in the coming months.(dpa)