Fewer jobs, an aging workforce and more computers.

A new phenomenon hit many Bermudians for the first time in 1991.

After years of being able to pick and choose the quality and quantity of their employment, a growing number of locals came face to face with the spectre of unemployment.

For Bermudians used to having the option of taking on second or even third jobs at will to pay for their comfortable lifestyles, it was a kin to being hit with an economic sledge-hammer.

Even where there are jobs available, the days of being able to pick and choose employment to fit around one's social life appear to be over.

Since Bermuda has no official jobless rate, the extent of unemployment on the Island is virtually impossible to gauge. But there can be no doubting, just by taking in news of redundancies and by listening to tales of hardship, that the problem has become progressively worse over the last 18 months.

In order to survive the recession, many local companies which had become overstaffed during Bermuda's glory years were forced to streamline.

The total workforce has fallen by 4.5 percent over the last three years to 34,621 in 1991, compared with 35,573 in 1990 and 36,237 in 1989. Much of the negative impact of this was borne by foreigners, with 2,000 work permits being removed in 1991 and about 4,000 between 1989 and 1991.

But experts believe this cushion to Bermudian hardship which expatriates proved has almost reached its limit and there are signs now that Bermuda may have to provide a better welfare system for its nationals to cope with the changing times.

The opposition Progressive Labour Party certainly believes this is the way forward.

Last November, shadow finance minister Mr. Eugene Cox introduced a motion to the House of Assembly, on behalf of Opposition Leader Mr. Frederick Wade, asking for the provision of unemployment insurance.

In the eyes of the PLP, unemployment has become so serious a problem that it warranted the immediate provision of an emergency fund to help the cash-strapped jobless. Although MPs rejected this request, the House agreed to look into the feasibility of Mr. Cox's broad proposals.

Mr. Cox says there is an unemployment "crisis'' on the Island. The problem was made worst because there was no long-term welfare protection for Bermudians, he says.

"Over the last three years, this Government has introduced very few social security measures,'' says Mr. Cox.

"As we are experiencing one of the most chilling episodes of Bermuda's history, with the economy in the doldrums and with people out of work and out of pocket as never before, no substantive initiatives have been spear headed by this Government to alleviate the agony of its people.'' Under the PLP's proposals, employed people would be entitled to $250 per week for up to 20 weeks per year provided they had held on to a full-time job for a least a year.

In a bad year, which the PLP deemed to be if 500 people were paid $250 for 20 weeks, the total cost would come to $2.5 million, which could be borne by employers, employees and Government.

Mr. Cox says the recession has highlighted the need for Bermuda to start providing accurate unemployment figures.

"We often pride ourselves on being a Country economically and socially ahead of the countries to the south of us but, in many respects, they are ahead of us,'' he says.

"Barbardos, for example, provides monthly unemployemt statistics. Compare this with Bermuda, where we don't know what the unemployment situation is because our statistics are lacking.'' He adds: "In my lifetime, this is the first time that I've been aware of an unemployment problem.'' He adds: "In my lifetime, this is the first time that I've been aware of an unemployment problem. People are suffering and people are being put to the difficulty of knowing they are going to be laid off and knowing there are no other jobs out there.

"It's frightening for everybody because you don't know if things are going to improve in the next few months or if they are going to get worse. Some families are already living off their savings.'' The days when Bermudians could take on two or three jobs to put their children through education pay for trips, abroad and other luxuries could be over forever, says Mr. Cox.

"There used to be a time when you could say you might not be able to get the type of job you wanted but it's getting to the stage now where you can say you can't get a job at all.

"You have only to walk to Albuoy's Point after dark or at lunchtime to see people diving into trash bags to see what they can find.

"There is no doubt in Bermuda that some people are living below the poverty line. If there was unemployment benefit, some of these people would be entitled to it and their lives would be made easier.

"For the first time in my lifetime, we have seen a downturn which is having a tremendous impact on people's lives. As a caring society, we have to be responsive to that.'' Former Minister of Labour the Hon. Sir John Sharpe recognises that Bermuda is undergoing irreversible employment trends which necessitate a change in attitude among the Bermudian workforce, particularly the unskilled.

More locals at the lower end of the pay scale must be prepared to take on work they would never have previously considered, such as unsociable shift work in hotels and the hospital, says Sir John.

Bermuda's employment gravy train, upon which many people have had a free ride for too long, has finally been derailed.

"I suspect things will never be the same again, particularly in some industries,'' says Sir John. "For instance, the construction industry, which has always been an industry able to mop up unskilled labour had changed a lot over the last few years.

"Unskilled labour, particularly men, who have been able to gravitate to the industry and be guaranteed good money, may have to start looking at other, worse paid jobs which Bermudians have not been keen on in the past.

"I can think of three categories that readily spring to mind -- work in the kitchen of hotels and restaurants, such as waiters aitresses, chefs and dishwashers; cleaning buildings, windows and that type of thing; and thirdly landscaping.

"There's going to have to be a change in attitude of Bermudians towards those jobs because those jobs, like other jobs, require people to be dependable, reliable and productive.

"And Bermudians have generally not been so, according to reports I have received from employers in the recent past about Bermudians who have dabbled in this field.

"There is a future for unskilled workers in Bermuda but attitudes have got to change. People have got to respect those jobs more and realise they require commitment and hard work.

"Bermudians generally have not needed to be interested in these jobs largely because of the opportunities provided by the construction industry where wages have been good and where people, at the lower end anyway, have not needed to produce a skill. But that has changed.'' Many unskilled Bermudian workers have been loath to accept jobs in the past which have interfered with their social lives, says Sir John.

"I think waiters and waitresses are well paid but it is, in some respects, not a particularly socially agreeable job because it means working shifts and working Saturdays and Sundays and working nights, which some are not prepared to do.

"But if the alternative is no job at all, I think that's something people will start to come to terms with it does offer a good future for young Bermudians who have set their minds on it.'' As for the female workforce, Sir John Says there are job opportunities around, particularly in the secretarial field, but he adds there is a need for Bermudian women to upgrade their skills.

"There are some first rate Bermudians secretaries around who will never want for jobs.''he says. "The more meagre ones who're weaker in their skills will need to up grade their standards in those areas where they are deficient now, such as spelling and English grammar.'' The workforce as a whole needs to recognise that jobs will be harder to come by.

"Either people have to get into the areas I have mentioned or they've got to stay in school longer and upgrade their skills to some ot the other business that's available,'' he says.

There are plenty of opportunities for Bermudian men and women in the hotel industry.

"Relatively few Bermudians have taken up this industry in past years,'' he says. "There are a lot on non-Bermudians in this.'' Another area which provides ample opportunities for bright, young Bermudians who are prepared to work hard is chartered accountancy, where there was a worrying dearth of qualified locals.

As the face of unemployment changes in Bermuda, it is no use local people just sitting back and calling for the removal of more expatriate workers, says Sir John.

"We need all the experts we can get to run a sophisticated economy,'' he says. "In international business, there's always going to be key personnel that the companies require, personnel who know their business inside out from their place of origin.

"Without these people that business would not be here. We have to face that squarely and recognise that there are key personnel in the international sector producing jobs for Bermudians.'' The overall unemployment picture is not too gloomy for Bermudians with the right attitude, says Sir John.

"If Bermudians want to make the effort and take the time to get themselves trained and qualified, there will jobs for them,. There's no doubt about that, he says.

Another factor affecting industry on the Island is that the local workforce is ageing significntly, partly due to a declining birth rate and the fact that people are generally healthier than they used to be and are living longer.

Between 1982 and 1981, the number of Bermudian workers under 35 decreased by ten percent, while the number over 35 rose by 20 percent, according to manpower surveys.

Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul says Government is aware that the population is getting older but did not anticipate it putting too much of a strain on the economy.

"We can always bring skilled labour as we have done in the past to meet any shortfall,'' he says.

"Secondly, computerisation will advance over the next three to five years so that fewer will be needed to do jobs.

"People are using computers more and more, and companies are becoming more efficient. It will soon take one Bermudian to do the job of two by using a computer.

"People are retiring later and later. They are not retiring as they used to at the age of 55. That will negate some of the problems.'' He says people are living longer and were in better health at older ages than they have been in the past, enabling more people to work well into their latter years.

A population made up of more retired people would not pose too many problems for the economy, says Dr. Saul.

"Most of them will be covered by insurance, so that will not put an undue stain on the system,'' he says. "I don't see it being major problem. It's something that will correct itself.'' Government was waiting for the results of the most recent census, which were due out in June, before the manpower picture became clearer.

He says: "We have got a number of contingency plans to meet different scenarios but we're waiting for the data to come out.''