(Washington, DC)  --  White House economic adviser Larry Summers will hold a meeting on the state of the U.S. economy today with several members of President Obama's Cabinet.

   While Obama will not be there, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Energy Secretary Steven Chu are all expected to attend.

   National Security Adviser James Jones, White House climate czar Carol Browner, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett are also expected to be there.

   They will discuss ways to improve the economy, create jobs and achieve sustainable growth.
   Summers is the director of the White House National Economic Council.

   The meeting is expected to begin around 2 p.m., Eastern time.

   Today's high-level meeting comes as the unemployment rate in the U.S. stands at nine-point-eight-percent.
   New unemployment numbers are due out Friday.

   The unemployment rate is expected to have climbed to 9.9 percent in October.


   (Copyright 2009 by VERTEXNews/Newsroom Solutions)