Updates with NBER panelistâ??s comments in eighth paragraph.

July 30 Bloomberg -- The worst U.S. recession since the 1930s was even deeper than previously estimated, reflecting bigger slumps in consumer spending and housing, according to revised figures.

The worldâ??s largest economy shrank 4.1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the second quarter of 2009, compared with the 3.7 percent drop previously on the books, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Household spending fell 1.2 percent in 2009, twice as much as previously projected and the biggest decline since 1942.

â??We do tend to get bigger revisions at turning points in the economy,â?? Steven Landefeld, director of the Commerce Departmentâ??s Bureau of Economic Analysis, said in a press conference this week. On the more positive side, â??in the past, weâ??ve tended to undershoot the recoveryâ?? as well, he said.