US unemployment is expected to hover at 9 per cent through 2012 and drop to 8.5 per cent by 2013, government budget officials projected Thursday, delivering another gloomy prospect for the economy, dpa reported. The Office of Management and Budget, in a periodic update, also said it expected economic growth to remain sluggish at 1.7 per cent through to year's end, and only increase to 2.6 per cent in 2012, Bloomberg financial news service reported. Current unemployment is 9.1 per cent, with figures for August to be released on Friday. -- SPA
