Some expatriate workers may soon be eligible for ten year work permits, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Kim Wilson announced yesterday.Sen Wilson made the announcement as she wants international businesses to know “Bermuda is open for business".In a wide-ranging speech at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting yesterday, Ms Wilson also revealed she would be introducing the country’s first unemployment database and new training programmes.Ms Wilson said extending the work permits to ten years would be a “win-win situation” for Government, businesses and the people of Bermuda. But she warned that it would be harder for companies to get their hands on work permits unless they could prove they were employing and training Bermudians. She stressed that companies had to “provide opportunities for Bermudians at all levels” and it would not be a case of just having to “train one Bermudian to get our work permits”.Cabinet first approved longer work permits several years ago but the then Immigration Minister David Burch effectively said it would happen over his dead body. Lt Col Burch, who resigned suddenly last month, called term limits nothing but “pro-Bermuda and its people.”But Sen Wilson said the new ten-year work permit would become a reality “in the coming months.”She said: “We recognise that we will continue to need large numbers of guest workers. We know this, accept it and welcome these workers, because they help keep Bermudians employed and help to maintain our economy as a whole. However we also recognise that there must be a balance a balance between supporting business and the employment of Bermudians.”Sen Wilson said the details had yet to be finalised but she did not want to “stifle business activity”. Instead she wants to give international businesses greater long-term security and make Bermuda more attractive to new businesses.She said she wanted it to be seen that: “Bermuda is friendly and receptive to international business and that indeed - Bermuda is open for business.”The term limit change comes as the 2010 Employment Survey showed the number of jobs in Bermuda tumbled by 3.6 percent from 39,520 in 2009 to 38,095 in 2010 a loss of 1,425 jobs.For this reason companies are being warned it will take longer to apply for work permits as Government wants to “look a little deeper to ensure that Bermudians aren’t being overlooked”.Phone calls will be made to verify information and to remind employers that “falsifying an Immigration application is an offence”.Ms Wilson said she made no apology for the tough decisions that would be made to tackle Bermuda’s shrinking job market.She said it was about finding the right balance between guest and Bermudian workers as the radio talk shows were full of “complaints that guest workers have our jobs.”Ms Wilson said in the last 15 years Bermuda had undergone “an unprecedented period of growth” which had changed the economic climate.She said: “During the years of plenty Bermudians were over employed. We scarcely had enough human resources to fill the many jobs that were available.“The angst that had once existed between the guest workers and Bermudians fell away and everyone was fat and happy.“Now that the lean years are upon us that angst is beginning to resurface. More and more Bermudians are finding themselves unemployed.”It is Ms Wilson’s priority to set up an unemployment registration drive to provide Government with “real time data” of how many people are unemployed.Ms Wilson said it was “imperative that all unemployed Bermudians are accounted for” as she understood “the critical need to have an accurate account of the current state.”She said it would not be an easy task, but said: “rest assured the answers are coming” and the collated data would be used to better address the needs of the unemployedMs Wilson said the last official unemployment figures were from May 2009 when the Department of Statistics’ Labour Force Survey noted an unemployment rate of 4.5 percent or 1,714 people.Ms Wilson said the growing unemployment rate was “skewed towards a specific segment” as the 1,576 people currently registered with the Department of Labour and Training had few technical skills.She said these were the types of people who needed to re-join the workforce, adding: “These people deserve the opportunity to work in their own country.”Ms Wilson said creating job opportunities for unemployed Bermudians meant she had stopped issuing work permits for landscape gardeners, cleaners, kitchen and bar porters, housekeepers and skilled labourers.Ms Wilson said: “I have listened carefully to all of the many appeals however it cannot be business as usual and therefore sadly some guest workers are being required to settle their affairs. This is our reality. I make no apology for this decision.“It is our collective responsibility, the public and private sectors working together to stabilize our economy.“To do this we must get our people employed or suffer the unfortunate circumstances of an unstable society.”Ms Wilson said she also understood the dilemma of “recruiting, training and retaining the right employees”.She said specific training programmes would be launched to address workers “lacking the right attitude” by turning up for work late or not at all.She also encouraged employers to take advantage of the Apprenticeship Payroll Tax Relief Programme for up to two years. Just six companies took advantage of this scheme in 2010 and four companies the previous year.Ms Wilson compared trying to get to grips with the current state of the economy as being like “a runaway freight train, without a conductor, hurtling over a bridge.”She said there had “been tough times, the likes we have never seen before” highlighting problems with international business, the real estate market, tourism, manufacturing and construction.Ms Wilson said: “It’s often been said that Bermuda is another world.“However in this case we are not so different from other jurisdictions in the sense that we have not been spared our share of challenges due to the global economic downturn.“And we’ve seen the layoffs. We have seen the slowdown in key economic drivers such as construction and tourism.“We’ve seen the headlines depicting various numbers and percentages as it relates to unemployment.“The truth is the number of jobs is shrinking.”However, Ms Wilson added that despite the challenges faced, she was very optimistic about the future.She said: “I am confident that if we work together that we will be able to navigate through these challenging times and come out the other side, stronger and more resilient as a people, and as a country.”