US employers add 199,000 jobs as unemployment falls to 3.9%

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a modest 199,000 jobs last month while the unemployment rate fell sharply, at a time when businesses are struggling to fill jobs, with many Americans remaining reluctant to return to the workforce. The Labor Department said Friday that the nation’s unemployment rate fell to a healthy 3.9% from 4.2% in November.