The folks at AIR, Inc., tell ANN that  while this is traditionally a slow recruiting month, the number of pilots hired in December decreased only slightly. A total of 351 pilots were hired and, once again, the Nationals led the chart with 166. The Non-jet Operator division hired 80 pilots, a strong enough showing to replace the Jet Operators, who came in 3rd with 68. Once again, Non-jet Operators maintained their low furlough numbers, reporting just 42 pilots still on furlough at the end of 2003. AIR, Inc.'s predicts up to 6.500 new pilot jobs for 2004, with 500 furlough recalls. When comparing 2002 to 2003, the 33% decrease in the hiring levels does not indicate the current trend for 2004. We must take into account that 2003 brought with it continued affects from 9/11,