A construction worker directs a steel hoist at the foundation of a new condo complex in Sunrise, Fla., Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012. A burst of hiring in December pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in nearly three years, giving the economy a boost at the end of 2011. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Unemployment rate falls, lowest in nearly 3 years

  WASHINGTON (AP) — A burst of hiring in December pushed the U.S. unemployment rate to its lowest level in nearly three years, giving the economy a boost at the end of 2011. The Labor Department said Friday that employers added a net 200,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent, the lowest since February 2009. The rate has […]