In this Dec. 12, 2011 file photo, people talk with a recruiter, center, at a job fair sponsored by National Career Fairs, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — 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.

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 dropped for four straight months.

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