according to the first CURE's Annual Review of the Workforce.

The report also claims that blacks take up a higher proportion of posts at the lower end of the employment spectrum. Whites, on the other hand, hold 68 percent of executive management positions and more than 12 percent earn more than $100,000.

"That divergence has to be explained,'' said Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister yesterday as he unveiled the findings of the review.

The release of the statistics marks the end of the first phase of CURE's efforts to address racial imbalances in the workplace, he said.

Mr. Lister introduced the move to begin collecting racial statistics on the workforce amid mounds of criticism and controversy in January 2000.

After months of public meetings and conferences with business representatives to sell the idea, 26,441 employees at 426 organisations with ten or more employees completed forms identifying themselves by race last autumn.

Employers then added information on employment rank, salary and benefits and submitted the forms to CURE. These forms will be filled out annually in order to track progress and trends.

Mr. Lister said representatives will begin to meet with both businesses considered to be performing well in terms of racial equity and those with poor records -- a high percentage of which are in the international business sector.

CURE releases employment survey findings "What's clear is while BIBA worked very hard to get black Bermudians integrated successfully into international business, that success has been at the bottom end,'' said Mr. Lister.

"We're getting blacks in the industry, but at bottom level positions. The question is why don't we have a balance.'' While blacks comprise 54 percent of the workforce, they hold only 20 percent of executive management positions just two percent of those positions in international business.

"Looking at income disparities, blacks are over-represented at the lower salary levels and across industries,'' the survey concludes. "CURE will seek to address the factors that contribute to this over-representation of one racial group and will work with employers to ensure that all employees have equal access to opportunities in the work place.'' Of the lowest income group -- those earning less than $25,000 a year -- blacks represented 62 percent while whites accounted for 17 percent.

The bulk of the Bermuda work force -- 61 percent -- earn between $25,001 and $55,000. Blacks account for 60 percent of this group and whites 23 percent.

The trend begins to reverse for those with salaries between $55,001 and $75,000 with blacks representing 45 percent versus 40 percent white.

Only 19 percent of those earning more than $75,000 are black.

Having hard statistics on race in the workplace "removes all the guesswork'' and will end "he said, she said'' tales of what is happening in Bermuda, Mr.

Lister said.

His hope is that when those companies that are lagging behind in race equity are confronted with the statistics they will want to work with CURE to change the face of their businesses.

"I would like to think they'll respond with `didn't realise it was this bad.

Sorry, let's start doing something to fix this','' said Mr. Lister.

"If we get a different response I will personally feel we're on a sticky wicket.'' CHART