TheU.S.unemploymentratedroppedtothelowestlevelinmorethantwoyearsinNovember.Thereportshowsamixedpicture,however,forthetroubledU.S.jobmarket.ThenewsforpeoplelininguptoapplyforjobsgotalittlebetteronFriday.TheLaborDepartmentsaysNovember'sjoblessratewas8.6percent,animprovementoffour-tenthsofapercentfromOctober.ThedataalsoshowthattheU.S.economygained120,000jobs,whichisaboutthenumberofjobsneededtoaccomodatenewentrantstotheworkforce.Thesloweconomyhashurtcityandstategovernments,whichcontinuedcuttingjobs.Butprivatecompaniesboostedhiringby140,000,particularlyinretail,professionalservices,andhealthcare.U.S.PresidentBarackObamasaidtheAmericaneconomyhascreatedprivatesectorjobsforthepast21months,nearlythreemillioninall.Mr.Obamasaid"weneedtokeepthatgrowthgoing"andurgedCongresstostopblockinglawsthathesaidwouldhelpcreatejobs."Nowisnotthetimetoslamthebrakesontherecovery,rightnowisthetimetosteponthegas,"hesaid."Weneedtogetthisdone."Thehighunemploymentrateisatopissueinthe2012raceforpresident.AndRepublicans,includingSpeakeroftheHouseJohnBoehner,againblamedU.S.economicproblemsonPresidentObama'spolicies."Anyjobcreationiswelcomenews,buttheunemploymentrateinourcountryisstillunacceptablyhigh,"hesaid."Novembermarksthe34thconsecutivemonthwithunemploymentaboveeightpercent.Boehnersaysacloserlookshowsthattheratedeclinedinpartbecause300,000peoplegrewsodiscouragedthattheygaveuptheirsearchforwork.Onlypeoplewhoareseekingworkarecountedasunemployed.ButDemocraticstrategistSteveMcMahonhassaidanimprovingeconomywillhelpMr.Obama'schancesforreelection."Whatmattersmostinapresidentialcampaign,attheend,whenitcomestotheeconomy,isdopeoplethinkthingsaregettingbetterandonapathtogettingbetter,"hesaid.OnthestreetsofNewYorkCity,somepeopledoubttheeconomywillimprove."IthinkI'llhaveajob.Idon'tthinkthingswillgetbetterforthatmanypeople,"saidLisaRamini,anunemployedworker.Soissheprettypessimistic?"Yeah,itdoesn'tseemlikeit'sgettingbetter,"shesaid."It'sbeenawhilenowthatpeoplehavebeenwithoutjobs.Therehasn'tbeenmuchimprovementthisfar."Otherswelcomedthejobgains."Anyimprovementisgood,yeahIhopeweareontherighttrack,"saidoneman.Thenewestdatashowthat13.3millionpeopleareofficiallyunemployedintheUnitedStates.Millionsmorewantfull-timeworkbutcanfindonlypart-timejobs
