2025 figures show fewer Bermudian jobs
There were fewer Bermudians employed in 2025 compared with the previous year, despite overall jobs on the island increasing during that time.
Jason Hayward, the Minister of Economy and Labour, said 65, or 0.3 per cent, fewer positions on the island were held by Bermudians last year — but there were 369 additional jobs year-on-year.
Mr Hayward, who discussed the 2026 Bermuda Job Market Employment Briefs today, said this decrease in Bermudian jobs reflects a “significant demographic transition”.
He explained: “Bermudians entering the workforce are simply replacing Bermudian workers who retire or otherwise exit employment, leading to negative net employment figures.”
The report, based on data collected from the 2025 employment survey, revealed that 3,176 jobs in Bermuda last year were held by people older than 65.
This figure represents 172, or 5.7 per cent, more jobs than were held by those in this age bracket in 2024, and comprises almost 9.4 per cent of the 33,820 total jobs recorded in Bermuda in 2025.
The total number of jobs last year represents a 1.1 per cent increase from 2024.
Mr Hayward partly attributed the increase in older workers to the Government extending the retirement age from 65 to 68 and reducing employers’ payroll tax for workers older than 65.
He said: “We have a need of increasing our working population based off our ageing population — we can’t continue with the trend we have now, where we have large numbers of individuals exiting our workforce within the next five years.”
Discussing other findings from the briefs, Mr Hayward said the median gross annual income for Bermudians and for all workers on the island was $69,915 and $72,858 respectively in 2025. Both figures represent an increase of 2.4 per cent year-on-year.
He added that Bermuda recorded more jobs in several sectors — including transport and storage, construction and quarrying, public administration and international business — year-on-year in 2025, as well as 2,500 additional positions from 2021.
• Jobs for men totalled 17,529, an increase of 347, or 2 per cent
• Jobs for women rose by 22, or 0.1 per cent, to total 16,291
• Filled jobs by non-Bermudians grew by 422, or 4.9 per cent, totalling 9,099
• Black employment grew by 91, or 0.5 per cent, totalling 17,134
• Women earned 107 per cent of the overall median income while men earned 98 per cent
• Workers aged 40 to 54 earned 110 per cent of the overall median income
Mr Hayward said he believed that opportunities exist for Bermudians in several professions and highlighted that the Government’s memorandum of understanding with the Fairmont Southampton developer, Gencom, mandated that 30 per cent of the 500 available jobs at the resort be given to Bermudians.
He explained: “That means that within our entire hospitality industry there will be jobs available to Bermudians.”
Mr Hayward added: “We have robust construction activity taking place right now. There are huge opportunities for those people who possess those trades to get into that industry and be successful.”
He concluded: “Our responsibility is to prepare Bermudians for the jobs of today and the new opportunities that will emerge as our economy continues to develop.
“By investing in our people, strengthening workforce planning and supporting continued economic expansion, we can build a labour market that is resilient, inclusive and capable of delivering lasting prosperity for Bermuda.”
• To see the 2026 Job Market Employment Briefs in full, see Related Media
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