Buffett says economy close to recession

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said the United States could slip into a recession if the jobless rate increases, he told CNBC television on Tuesday.

In a series of interviews throughout the day, Buffett, who built Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N) into a $205 billion conglomerate, gave a sobering view of the economy's prospects, including the assessment that holiday retail sales were not looking good despite a post-Thanksgiving holiday burst.

Consumer spending is seen as a key buffer preventing a weaker U.S. economy from sliding into recession as the housing market continues its free-fall and the banking sector remains challenged by a credit crisis.

"If unemployment picks up then we could be in for a recession," Buffett said.

The U.S. unemployment rate in October rose to the highest level since August 2006, and was steady at 4.7 percent in November.

Buffett's comments on the economy came shortly after the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate for the third time since a crisis in the subprime mortgage market blew up in August and said weakness in the housing sector and consumer spending are slowing growth.

Buffett said daily figures from his own outlets, which include a broad range of companies in sectors ranging from food to furniture, indicated the season was "looking soft."

Asked about a plan by some large banks to create a fund to buy tarnished mortgage securities, the billionaire said this vehicle is unlikely to cure what ails financial markets.

"You can't turn a financial toad (into a prince) by kissing it or by securitizing it or by transferring its ownership to somebody else," he said.

As for U.S. President George W. Bush's plan to negotiate rate freezes on some mortgages at risk of default, Buffett said it was the right course of action but "not revolutionary."

(Reporting by Kevin Plumberg; editing by Leslie Adler)