U.S.unemployment jumped a half percent in May, to 9.4 percent prompting this comment by Austan Goolsbee, a member of President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisors: "The economy clearly has gotten substantially worse from the initial predictions that were being made, not just by the White House, but by all of the private sector,"

VOA: standard.2009.06.07

Industry body Homes for Scotland cautiously welcomed the increase in private sector house starts.

BBC: Rise in new private sector house starts

The number of private sector house starts has risen for the first time in Scotland in five years, according to official figures.

BBC: Rise in new private sector house starts

Gene Sperling, director of the White House National Economic Council, said private-sector growth over the last several months has exceeded White House estimates.

WSJ: Job Growth Loses Steam