U.S. employers add 199,000 jobs in November amid slowing job growth

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. employers added 199,000 jobs in November amid slowing job growth, with the unemployment rate edging down to 3.7 percent, the U.S. Labor Department reported Friday.

Job gains occurred in healthcare and government, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Employment also increased in manufacturing, reflecting the return of workers from simultaneous strikes. Employment in retail trade declined.

The report said that employment growth is below the average monthly gain of 240,000 over the prior 12 months but is in line with job growth in recent months.