A brief tax reprieve

Taxpayers get an extra three days to file their federal tax returns this year, and they can thank the nation’s capital for the extra time. The filing deadline is delayed until midnight Monday because the District of Columbia will observe Emancipation Day today. By law, local holidays in the nation’s capital affect tax deadlines the same way federal holidays would. States generally follow the federal deadline. Emancipation Day marks the occasion when President Abraham Lincoln signed a law ending slavery in the District of Columbia.

Isle McDonald’s to hire up to 1,000

McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii said it will offer up to 1,000 jobs Tuesday as part of the company’s “national hiring day.”

The one-day event coincides with the national campaign in which the fast-food giant said it plans to hire up to 50,000 new employees. The jobs are a mix of part- and full-time positions, including managerial posts, McDonald’s said in a news release.

Applicants can apply at any McDonald’s restaurant or online at www.mcdonalds.com/careers.

Hiring is a “year-round” effort, and applicants can apply at any time before or after Tuesday, the company said.

30-year mortgage rate rises to 4.91%

NEW YORK >> The rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage rose for the fourth straight week but still remains below 5 percent.

Freddie Mac said yesterday the average rate on the 30-year loan rose to 4.91 percent from 4.87 percent the previous week. It hit a 40-year low of 4.17 percent in November.      

The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage increased to 4.13 percent from 4.10 percent. It reached 3.57 percent in November, the lowest level on rec­ords dating back to 1991.

The average rate on a one-year adjustable-rate loan fell to 3.22 percent from 3.26 percent. Three weeks ago the rate hit 3.17 percent, the lowest level on rec­ords dating back to 1984.

Expensive gas lifts wholesale prices

WASHINGTON >> More expensive gas pushed wholesale prices higher last month, although pricier cars and furniture also contributed to the increase.

The Producer Price Index, which measures price changes before they reach the consumer, rose 0.7 percent in March, the Labor Department said yesterday. That’s down from 1.6 percent in February. The index has increased 5.8 percent in the past year.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, prices rose 0.3 percent — the second-highest increase in the past year. The price of new cars rose by the most in nearly two years, while the cost of some types of furniture jumped 6.5 percent. Still, core prices are up only 1.9 percent over the past year, a relatively tame rate of inflation.

Jobless benefit applications increase

More people applied for unemployment benefits last week, the first increase in three weeks. Still, the broader trend points to a slowly healing jobs market.

The government says applications for unemployment benefits rose 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 412,000 for the week ended April 9. That left applications at their highest point since mid-February.

Applications near 375,000 are consistent with a sustained increase in hiring. Applications peaked during the recession at 659,000.

Ford expands recall of F-150 pickups

DETROIT >> Under pressure from government safety regulators, Ford Motor Co. is expanding a recall of the popular F-150 pickup truck to include nearly 1.2 million vehicles that could have defective air bags.

The wider recall, announced yesterday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, covers all F-150s built for the 2004 and 2005 model years, as well as part of the 2006 model year. Also included are 16,000 2006 Lincoln LT pickups.

An electrical short can cause the air bags to deploy unexpectedly, in some cases injuring drivers.

On the Move

>> Kokua Hospitality, management firm of the Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki, has named Bonnie Kiyabu as general manager of the property. She worked at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa since 1976 and was previously an executive assistant manager since 1999.

>> Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has promoted Eren Look to senior vice president and branch manager of New Agent Training Office from assistant vice president and branch manager of CBP’s King Street office. Look has more than 25 years of real estate experience, including as sales associate selling real estate until 1992 when she was offered a management position at CBP.