Many Bermudians are in a state of fear and anxiety following the outbreak of the war on terrorism, according to the latest Bermuda Omnibus poll.

Over a quarter of Bermuda's households (28 percent) reported emotional turmoil following the September 11 attacks on the United States while eight percent of residents said they had suffered personal loss or family tragedy.

And the majority of the population believe an economic downturn in Bermuda is inevitable in wake of the global crisis.

Seventy-one percent of households surveyed by Total Marketing & Communications (TMC) said they expected a negative impact on the economy primarily as a result of fewer tourists coming to the Island. But residents also expect to see dips in retail purchases (22 percent) and job numbers and job security (nine percent) and a slowdown on imports/resources (seven percent).

Last week, Finance Minister Eugene Cox announced that Bermuda can expect a two-to three-quarter recession in the first part of 2002 but thus far the Island has avoided major job losses.

But the survey found that seven percent of households had suffered a loss of employment or income reduction.

On the bright side, Bermuda residents remain optimistic about their own travel plans with 83 percent reporting they had not changed their plans as a result of the attacks against 15 percent who had made changes. Only eight percent of residents indicated they would be less likely to travel given recent developments.

In terms of local airport security, residents reported a high level of confidence in procedures and security measures in place.

More than three quarters of respondents (77 percent) said they are confident in the security procedures at Bermuda's airport.

Only one in ten residents (12 percent) reported they were less than confident. Only three percent of those surveyed said they were spending less money due to the impact of the terrorist attacks.

The survey was conducted between September 28 and October 3 by TMC and its Canadian affiliate Corporate Research Associates (CRA). Omnibus is an independent, quarterly survey based on a representative sample of 402 Bermuda residents.

The results are accurate within 4.9 percentage points.