Bermuda's collective employment earnings dropped by $17 million or 2.2 percent for the second quarter of 2009 - the first time the quarterly figure has fallen year-on-year in 16 years, according to the latest Government statistics.

The total employment income for that period fell to $759.7 million from $777 million for the second quarter of 2008 and was down by nearly $30 million from $787.5 million for the first quarter of the year.

The last time employment income decreased quarterly year-on-year was from $245.8 million for the first quarter of 1992 to $232.1 million for the same period in 1993.

Earnings in the international business sector declined slightly to $215.6 million compared to $214.7 million for last year's Q2, while hotels and restaurants' employees' income plunged by 59.9 percent to $17.4 million from $43.3 million over the respective periods.

The total number of staff employed in the hotel industry was also down 1.6 percent at 2,548 for April 2009 compared to 2,590 for the same time a year earlier.

Meanwhile hotel gross receipts were down by 28.8 percent at $69.3 million for the second quarter of 2009 versus $97.3 million during the same period the previous year.

Central Government revenue dropped by 5.7 percent to $196.5 million from $208.3 million between the two second quarters, with total expenditure climbing 3.5 percent to $302.7 million from $292.6 million in the same timeframe.

Overall imports were down 22.3 percent to $273.8 million for Q2 2009 from $297.5 million for the same period last year as the economic downturn took effect.

Elsewhere, new registrations also dropped significantly to 445 companies for the first half of this year from 679 companies for the opening six months of 2008, with local companies plummeting from 57 in last year's second quarter to 28 for the 2009 second quarter.