Nature of Operations	3 Months Ended
Nature of Operations	Feb. 29, 2020
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	Nature of Operations Jefferies Financial Group Inc. ("Jefferies," "we," "our" or the "Company") is a diversified financial services company engaged in investment banking and capital markets, asset management and direct investing. Jefferies Group LLC ("Jefferies Group"), our largest subsidiary, is the largest independent full-service global investment banking firm headquartered in the U.S. Jefferies Group operates in two business segments: Investment Banking and Capital Markets and Asset Management. Investment Banking and Capital Markets includes investment banking, capital markets and other related services. Investment banking provides underwriting and financial advisory services to clients across most industry sectors in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Capital markets businesses operate across the spectrum of equities, fixed income and foreign exchange products. Related services include, among other things, prime brokerage and equity finance, research and strategy, corporate lending and real estate finance. Our Asset Management segment includes both the operations of Leucadia Asset Management ("LAM") as well as the asset management operations within Jefferies Group. Within Asset Management, we manage, invest in and provide services to a diverse group of alternative asset management platforms across a spectrum of investment strategies and asset classes. Asset Management offers institutional clients an innovative range of investment strategies through its affiliated managers. Merchant Banking is where we own a portfolio of businesses and investments, including Linkem (fixed wireless broadband services in Italy); Vitesse Energy, LLC ("Vitesse Energy Finance") and JETX Energy, LLC ("JETX Energy") (oil and gas production and development); real estate, primarily including HomeFed LLC ("HomeFed"); Idaho Timber (manufacturing); FXCM Group, LLC ("FXCM") (provider of online foreign exchange trading services); and The We Company (global network of workspaces). Our Merchant Banking businesses and investments also included National Beef Packing Company, LLC ("National Beef") (beef processing), prior to its sale in November 2019 and Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. ("Spectrum Brands") (consumer products), prior to its distribution to shareholders in October 2019. The structure of each of our investments was tailored to the unique opportunity each transaction presented. Our investments may be reflected in our consolidated results as consolidated subsidiaries, equity investments, securities or in other ways, depending on the structure of our specific holdings. We own approximately 42% of the common shares of Linkem, as well as convertible preferred shares which, if converted, would increase our ownership to approximately 54% of Linkem's common equity at February 29, 2020. Linkem provides residential broadband services in Italy using LTE technologies deployed over the 3.5 GHz spectrum band. Linkem is accounted for under the equity method. Vitesse Energy Finance is our 97% owned consolidated subsidiary that acquires and invests in non-operated working interests and royalties predominantly in the Bakken Shale oil field in North Dakota. JETX Energy is our 98% owned consolidated subsidiary that currently has non-operated working interests and acreage in east Texas. HomeFed is our consolidated subsidiary that owns and develops residential and mixed use real estate properties. Prior to July 1, 2019, we owned approximately 70% of HomeFed and accounted for it under the equity method. On July 1, 2019, we completed a merger with HomeFed by which we acquired the remaining common stock of HomeFed. From July 1, 2019, the results of HomeFed are reflected on a consolidated basis. Idaho Timber is our consolidated subsidiary engaged in the manufacture and distribution of various wood products. Our investment in FXCM and associated companies consist of a senior secured term loan due February 15, 2021, ($71.6 million principal outstanding at February 29, 2020); a 50% voting interest in FXCM and rights to a majority of all distributions in respect of the equity of FXCM. We invested $9.0 million in 2013 in The We Company, which creates collaborative office communities, and have received $31.0 million in cash to date. We own less than 1% of The We Company. Our interest in The We Company is reflected in Financial instruments owned, at fair value in our financial statements.