While it was disappointing for President Barack Obama to return to the U.S. without the 2016 Olympic Games for Chicago, his and the nation's larger problem remains the stubborn unemployment situation reflected in Friday's report that employers cut 263,000 jobs in September, significantly more than economists had forecast.

With a 9.8 percent unemployment rate that some economists believes could be in the double digits into 2010, the economic and political climate could be increasingly gloomy for the Democratic Party's prospects next November and beyond.

So on his return to the White House, Obama quickly pivoted from expressing disappointment in the failed Olympic bid to underscoring his administration's commitment to and focus on getting the U.S. economy back on track.

He said:

I also want to say a few words about the unemployment numbers that came out today. As I've said before, my principle focus each and every day, as well as the principle focus of my economic team, is putting our nation back on the path to prosperity. Since the period last winter when we were losing an average of 700,000 jobs per month, we've certainly made some progress on this front. But today's job report is a sobering reminder that progress comes in fits and starts — and that we're going to need to grind out this recovery step by step.

 

From the moment I took office, I've made the point that employment is often the last thing to come back after a recession. That's what history shows us. But our task is to do everything we can possibly do to accelerate that process. And I want to let every single American know that I will not let up until those who are seeking work can find work; until businesses that are seeking credit are able to get credit and thrive; until all responsible homeowners can stay in their homes.

That's our ultimate goal, and it's one that we are working every single day here in the White House to accomplish — whether it involves implementing the Recovery Act that's already helped to bring back America from the brink of a much worse situation or lowering the cost of health care for businesses and families. And that's why I'm working closely with my economic advisers to explore any and all additional options and measures that we might take to promote job creation.

Whenever I see statistics like the one we saw today, my mind turns to the people behind them — honest, decent Americans who want nothing more than the opportunity to contribute to their country and help build a better future for themselves and their families. And building a 21st century economy that offers this opportunity — an economy where folks can receive the skills and education they need to compete for the jobs of the future — will not happen overnight. But we will build it. Of that I am both confident and determined. And on behalf of every American, I will continue in that effort each and every day for as long as I am in this White House.