For a long time tourism and hospitality ruled the roost as the largest employment sector in Bermuda but it has been pushed far into the shade and today the Island's emerging red hot sector is construction.

The decline in tourism since the mid-1980s peak now means that hotel jobs no longer figure in the top five employment sectors in Bermuda.

By 2010 the number of hotel jobs will have decreased further by more than 250 jobs, according to employment trends identified by former Government statistician Cordell Riley this week.

Jobs continue to be created in public administration but this sector will fall to third place by 2010 because of a rocketing increase in the number of construction industry jobs being created.

If proof of Bermuda's construction boom were needed then simply take a close look at the figures and projections of Mr. Riley, who presented the 'Employment Trends to 2020' seminar at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel earlier in the week to Government and corporate representatives.

In 2001 there were around 2,500 construction jobs, by 2010 that will be 5,175 - representing an 85.2 percent hike.

The next biggest increase is international business with a projected 56.2 percent jump over the same period to account for 5,234 jobs by 2010, marginally ahead of the construction sector.

Other big growth job areas are wholesale trade and motor vehicles (45.5 percent up), Government/public administration (29.1 percent up), and agriculture, fishing and quarrying (29 percent up).

Employment sectors that are losing jobs include electricity/gas and water (down 34.8 percent), community/personal services (-16.6 percent), and hotels (-15.9 percent).

Over the next three years the number of new jobs in Bermuda is expected to average at 1,000 per year, hitting 43,866 in 2010.

"By 2010 we expect there to be nearly 44,000 jobs in Bermuda. If that is the case how are we going to manage that situation?" asked Mr. Riley.

He gave, as an example, the effect that a single road accident can have on Harbour Road, causing traffic tailbacks from the west and creating delays of up to an hour for people trying to reach Hamilton.

More people working on the Island means more people using the roads to commute and so exasperating an already congested traffic situation, Mr. Riley points out.

A concern is the low percentage of jobs that are being created for Bermudians. Last year out of just under 800 new jobs 75 percent went to non-Bermudians while only six percent went to Bermudians. The figure is completed with 15 percent of the jobs going to permanent residents and four percent to Bermudian spouses.

Mr. Riley said the information on employment trends is important and useful particularly to young Bermudians making decisions about their future career paths. The figures give a good indication of where opportunities are and what percentage of an employment sector is populated by Bermudians compared to non-Bermudians.