WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said an encouraging unemployment report on Friday demonstrates that the economy continues to struggle under President Barack Obama, his rival in the November 6 election.

"This is not what a real recovery looks like," Romney said in a prepared statement. "Under President Obama, we'll get another four years like the last four years. If I'm elected, we will have a real recovery with pro-growth policies that will create 12 million new jobs and rising incomes for everyone."

The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 7.8 percent in September, the lowest level since Obama took office in January 2009.

Romney argued that the rate would be closer to 11 percent if it counted all those who have dropped out of the labor force.

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Alistair Bell and Vicki Allen)