Kansas labor officials say the state’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.1 percent in November, its lowest mark in nearly five years.

The state Department of Labor reported Thursday that November’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined from 5.6 percent in October. The jobless rate in November 2012 was 5.5 percent.

The department said that unemployment was last so low in December 2008.

Department spokeswoman Barbara Hersh said about 6,000 Kansans who had been receiving unemployment benefits found jobs in November.

Also, the department said about 19,900 more Kansans were employed in private-sector, non-farm jobs in November than in November 2012. The over-the-year growth was 1.8 percent.

Gov. Sam Brownback said in a statement that the numbers show that 2013 was a good year for the state’s economy.