WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says new figures showing U.S. unemployment has hit the double-digit mark are regretful and says he’s working hard to restore the struggling economy.

Standing in the White House Rose Garden, Obama called the new jobs report another illustration of why much more work is needed to spur business creation and consumer spending. He appeared a few hours after the government reported that the jobless rate hit 10.2 percent last month, the highest since 1983. The rate was 9.8 percent in September.