The White House said Tuesday that Lawrence H. Summers, the chief architect of President Obama's economic policy, would leave at the end of the year, continuing an exodus of top-level advisers at a time when voters are expressing deep dissatisfaction with the president's stewardship of the economy.

The White House says the departure has been long-planned; Mr. Summers, 55, said in a brief interview that he must return to his professorship at Harvard by January to keep his tenure. His departure gives Mr. Obama a chance to reshape his economics team after the midterm elections, when Republicans are expected to gain strength and possibly reclaim the majority in Congress.

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