Premier Jennifer Smith has dismissed a call to set up a register of expatriate workers.

The idea had been put forward by party backbencher Arthur Hodgson, who said it should list occupations of expatriates and their qualifications to enable Bermudians to be aware of jobs for which they might be qualified.

Ms Smith told the electronic news media on Friday that the idea smacked of Nazism.

She said employment had reached an unprecedented high of more than 38,000 in 2000. Most of the 3,384 new jobs went to Bermudians.

Opposition MP Trevor Moniz said yesterday that he was very relieved Ms Smith had dismissed the idea of an expatriate register.

He said: "The whole thing was a non-starter and the sooner that is recognised the better."