Government is the Island's single largest employer and its workforce is set to get even higher - tipping over the 5,000 mark.

Figures released in Government's latest budget show 104 new positions or a total of 5,071 employees.

The Education Ministry is responsible for almost half of those new positions.

Finance Minister Eugene Cox announced plans for the new Senior Four year in the senior schools, a special school for students with physical and/or medical challenges, and new provisions gifted students. All toll 48 new positions should arise in the ministry.

The new Department of Court Services, which will fall under the Ministry of Health, has been budgeted to get 37 new staff while 22 new jobs are slated for the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation. `

The Fire Service will be looking for civilians to fill eleven new dispatching positions.

In other departments, the budget includes provision for 13 new positions in the department of Public Transportation, nine in statistics, eight in Police, two in Conservation Services and Marine and Ports, and one each in Human Affairs, the Department of Maritime Administration, Civil Aviation, Immigration, the Health Department, Social Insurance, the Attorney General's Chambers, Department of Communication and Information and the Parliamentary Registrar's office.

Members of the Legislature received about a 2.5 percent increase in December 2002, whereas the Civil Service was awarded a 2.8 percent rise.

The highest paid person in the Legislature is Attorney General Dame Lois Browne-Evans, who gets a salary of $137,987. Premier Jennifer Smith actually takes home significantly less than Dame Lois with her salary of $102,986. Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Eugene Cox gets a salary of $87,840.

Ministers in the House of Assembly get $72,000, while Ministers in the Senate get $60,580. Speaker of the House Stanley Lowe gets $57,551, while Deputy Speaker Walter Lister gets $46,948. Junior ministers in the House get $45,434, while junior ministers in the Senate get a salary of $33,310. Party whips each get $42,405.

President of the Senate Alf Oughton gets a salary of $36,448 and Vice President Walwyn Hughes gets $26,872. Senators without any other responsibilities get $24,233, while Government backbenchers and most Opposition members of Parliament get $36,347.

It is worth noting that several civil servants earn significantly more than the highest paid member of the Legislature.

Dame Lois' salary would rank between PS (pay scale) levels 46 ($133,342) and 47(139,337). The PS levels top out at 50 where civil servants earn $159,012.

Regular Senators get salaries of $24,333, which is less than the lowest PS level of one which starts at $25,963.