THE government-run Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP) will expand its health and welfare compensation benefits to self-employed workers, the labor department said.

AMSTERDAM -- Chinese employees stole corporate secrets from Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, Dutch financial newspaper Financieele Dagblad (FD) reported on Thursday. The paper said, citing its own investigation, technology had been stolen by high-level Chinese employees in the research and development department of ASML’s US subsidiary and ultimately leaked to a company linked to the Chinese government.

CHIEF EXECUTIVES of some of the largest US banks faced off with the House Financial Services committee for the first time since the financial crisis on Wednesday armed with the healthy balance sheets, but lawmakers grilled executives more on social issues than business fundamentals.

NEW YORK -- California utility owner PG&E Corp is exploring expanding its board as it navigates bankruptcy proceedings in an effort to potentially settle an ongoing battle with shareholder BlueMountain Capital Management LLC, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

My boss has a bad habit of rejecting my ideas and sprucing them up a bit, then presenting it to top management without mentioning my name. Sometimes, he’s brazen enough to bring up my excellent ideas without any revision and claims credit for them. I’m sick and tired of my work situation. How do I handle his toxic ways? -- Fed Up.

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it will need 5,000 labor inspectors to monitor foreign workers, and estimated the funding requirement at P2.5 billion.

PARIS -- A retirement pot of almost 40 million euros ($44.78 million) for outgoing Airbus Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders is excessive and may harm the company’s image, France’s finance minister said in remarks published on Tuesday.

DAVAO CITY -- The Council of Hotel and Restaurant Educators of the Philippines (COHREP) hopes to strike more international faculty exchanges as a means of raising standards for staffing in the tourism industry.

NETFLIX INC on Wednesday amended its bylaws to allow its shareholders with a 3 percent stake to nominate board members, a year after shareholders voted in favor of such a proposal, known as proxy access.

WASHINGTON -- The growing market power of a small fraction of companies in wealthy countries could crimp investment and hurt workers, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday, as the growing role of tech giants like Google fuels debate about regulation of the industry.

I’m a 48-year old balikbayan who lived in the United States for 15 years. Now, that I’m back for good, I’d like to secure a permanent job here. What are my challenges in seeking employment here? -- Lady Dragon.

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said Filipino workers covered by a new bilateral agreement with Japan for workers with specialized skills are assured of better pay because of Japan has decided to extend preferential treatment for workers from the Philippines.