WASHINGTON -- Vice President Joe Biden said the Obama administration "misread how bad the economy was" and didn't foresee unemployment levels nearing double digits, in comments likely to intensify calls for the administration to do more to counter job losses.

Some economists are pressing the White House to enact a second round of stimulus spending or find some other way to avert a prolonged job and wage slump. But the White House is in a tough spot. Officials want to give the $787 billion stimulus package passed in February time to work -- only 10% of the spending is out the door so far -- and there is little appetite in Congress, particularly among Republicans, for spending more money at a time of record deficits.

The gloomy job picture threatens any economic recovery. The unemployment rate hit 9.5% last month, figures released last week show, and many now expect it to stay high for a long time, eventually reaching double digits. At the same time, wage growth is slumping. People facing unemployment or wage cuts are less able or willing to spend the money needed to stimulate the economy.

Already, job losses are hindering recovery in the housing market as foreclosures among people with good credit who have been laid off compound the problems with risky mortgages that triggered the sector's implosion.

"They're in a bind because the recovery package is just starting to generate positive benefits but, to the extent we know something about the future, unemployment is too high and is going to stay high for a long period," said Lawrence Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning Washington think tank. "When we hit 10% unemployment, which we will within months...even those who don't lose a job will be affected by the squeeze on wage growth, furloughs and the cutbacks in [retirement] plans," he said.