Applications for jobless aid decline again

WASHINGTON » Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, a sign of solid job security and growing confidence among employers.

Weekly unemployment benefit applications dropped 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 289,000, the Labor Department said Thursday.

That is the lowest level since late October.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, declined 750 to 298,750.

Applications are a proxy for layoffs. The average has fallen nearly 13 percent in the past year, evidence the job market is improving.

Economic index notches third straight gain

WASHINGTON » An index designed to predict the future health of the economy posted a third straight solid gain in November.

The Conference Board said Thursday that its index of leading indicators increased 0.6 percent last month, matching the revised October gain. The October reading had originally been reported as a 0.9 percent increase. The index rose 0.8 percent in September after being unchanged in August.

Conference Board economists say the widespread gains in the leading index are pointing to strong underlying conditions in the U.S. economy that should propel growth through the winter.

Ford expands recall of air bag inflators

DETROIT » Ford Motor Co. has agreed to government demands to expand a driver’s-side air bag inflator recall to the entire U.S.

The move announced Thursday adds 447,000 Ford vehicles to the list of those recalled due to driver’s inflators made by Japan’s Takata Corp. The inflators can explode with too much force, spewing shrapnel into drivers and passengers.

Ford’s action puts pressure on BMW and Chrysler, the only two automakers that haven’t agreed to national recalls.

Honda and Mazda already took their recalls national. Previously the recalls were limited to high-humidity states.

Cuts could hinder filing season, IRS warns

WASHINGTON » Budget cuts at the IRS could delay tax refunds, reduce taxpayer services and hurt enforcement efforts, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said Thursday.

About half the people who call the IRS for assistance this filing season won’t be able to get through to a person, Koskinen said.

And once returns are filed, there will be fewer agents to audit them.

In recent years, the IRS was able to issue most tax refunds within 21 days if the returns were filed electronically. Koskinen wouldn’t estimate how long they might be delayed in the upcoming filing season, which is just a few weeks away.

Obese folks count as disabled, court rules

LONDON » Obesity can be a disability, the European Court of Justice ruled Thursday — a decision that could have widespread consequences across the 28-nation bloc for the way in which employers deal with severely overweight staff.

The ruling, which is binding across the EU, has such profound implications for employment law that experts expect EU nations to challenge it.

The court ruled in the case of a Danish child care worker Karsten Kaltoft, who weighed 159 kilograms (350 pounds) and said he was unfairly fired for being fat.

The ruling said if obesity hinders a "full and effective participation in professional life," it could count as a disability.

ON THE MOVE

Hawaiian Host has hired Helen Heard as assistant human resources manager. She will oversee human resources operations for the company’s Gardena, Calif., facility. Her 14 years of experience in the field includes a stint as human resources manager for Nissin International Airport.

Hawaiian Airlines has appointed Gai Tyrrell as regional director for Australia and New Zealand, based in Sydney. She has more than 20 years of airline and travel industry experience, including time as chief executive officer at Sabre Pacific, chief operating officer at Jetset Travelworld Group, executive general manager at Flight Centre Ltd.-FCM Travel Solutions, and general manager of industry sales Australia at Qantas Airways.

SHIP AHOY!

Friday’s ship arrivals and departures:

HONOLULU HARBOR