The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to the lowest level in more than two years in November.

Friday's report from the Labor Department says the jobless rate was 8.6 percent, a drop of four-tenths of a percent from the prior month.

The data also show that the U.S. economy had a net gain of 120,000 jobs.

A closer look at the figures shows a mixed picture of the job market.

Part of the improvement comes from hiring by private companies.

Some of the apparent improvement in the jobless rate is the result of several hundred thousand people giving up their search for work.

The unemployment rate only considers people who are actively seeking jobs.