Labour Market Indicators (LMI) for 2013 released yesterday by the Department of Statistics show the hospitality industry facing a manpower shortage in their kitchens with the top category of job vacancies being chef de partie/cooks numbering 34.

Chef de partie/cook is the top job for all males, with a total of 508 jobs held in the category, according to the LMI indicator for all job holders, listed by jobs and sex. Of those, 429 are non-Bermudian, and also men.

In addition, general waiters or waitresses sat third on the vacancies list with 24 jobs available. The category did not appear at all in the top six listing of the all job holders — occupational rankings’ list.

The ‘chamber maids and or night maids’ category came second on the list for occupations for non-Bermudian female spouses, with 37 jobs.

The hospitality-linked categories did not make the top six jobs listed in the ‘Bermudians: occupation rankings’ list for either sex.

The statistics were released as the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce announced that the Restaurant Division of the Chamber had met with Minister of Home Affairs Michael Fahy to discuss issues with resident work permit holders needing multi re-entry visas and work permits.

Additionally, a $25,000 fee for renewing work permits along with issues regarding foreign nationals getting “stuck” in Bermuda without the necessary paperwork to be repatriated, were on the agenda.

Chamber of Commerce executive director Kendaree Burgess wrote to members in the Chamber Insider 19 May issue: “...as a result of our lobbying effort we have been given the following undertaking from the Ministry:

“Effective immediately the Ministry will issue the necessary Work Permit to make the application for the MRV possible.”

She added that the Ministry of Home Affairs has promised to make the “formal amendment” this week.

Other LMI key points include that unemployment was down in 2013 at seven percent, from eight percent in 2012. However, in 2009 it was just 4.5 percent.

The total jobs held were 34,277 in 2013. That is down by 1,166 from 2012, when 35,443 jobs were held. Some 17,351 males filled jobs, compared to 16,926 jobs held by females. In 2012, 17,851 jobs were held by men, while 17,592 jobs were held by women.

The median age of job holders was 46 for both sexes last year, compared with 45 in 2012.

The average number of hours worked per week was down slightly, with men working 36 hours compared to 36.1 hours the previous year, while women worked 38.2 hours, compared with 38.3 in 2012.

However, median annual gross earnings were up at $60,668, compared to $59,985 the previous year. Males earned slightly less than females, with $59,614 cited compared to $61,845 earned by women.

Bermudian men held 374 jobs as heavy truck drivers, while the second largest number of men, at 330, held jobs as security officers.

In addition, there were 29 vacancies for motor bus/limousine drivers.

Some 636 Bermudian women held jobs as executive secretaries or personal assistants, topping the ‘Bermudians: occupational rankings’ list. A total 515 women, the next category on that list, held jobs as senior clerks.

Total female job holders in all categories are also in their greatest numbers as executive secretary/personal assistants, with a total of 742, with senior clerks second at 549. Cashiers are next at 518, some 504 of which are Bermudian. The fourth spot is held by registered nurses at 429, while nursing aides number 401. Some 345 nursing aides are Bermudians, while nurses are not on the top six list for ‘Bermudians: occupational rankings’.

Finance clerks round out the list with 391 jobs held.

For men, after the top category of chef de partie/cook, managers number 408, heavy truck drivers are third on the list at 394, and finance managers number 367. There are 364 landscape gardeners and 363 men in total hold jobs as security officers.

The main job for permanent residents, both male and female, is cleaner/houseperson in the LMI rankings. Some 51 men and 46 women fall into the job category.

For non-Bermudian spouses, for men, managers top the list at 31, while females hold 61 jobs as executive secretaries/personal assistants.