WRAPUP 3-US job losses spike in June, dampen recovery hopes

* Drop in non-farm payrolls much larger than expected

* Jobless rate hits 9.5 percent, highest since August 1983

* But weekly jobless benefits claims fall in hopeful sign

* May factory orders rise more than expected (Recasts, adds details, analyst comments, updates markets)

By David Lawder

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - U.S. employers cut far more jobs than expected last month and the unemployment rate hit 9.5 percent, the highest in nearly 26 years, underscoring the likelihood of a long, slow recovery from recession.

The loss of 467,000 jobs reported by the Labor Department on Thursday was 100,000 more than Wall Street economists had expected, with virtually no sector of the economy spared.

Since the economy fell into recession in December 2007, 6.5 million nonfarm jobs have been lost and the unemployment rate has nearly doubled.

"It looks like the economy was still losing substantial momentum as the second quarter came to a close. This report is weak across the board," said William Sullivan, chief economist at the JVB Financial Group in Boca Raton, Florida.