A handful of unemployed people voiced their challenges and concerns to Labour Minister Kim Wilson yesterday at an Unemployment Registration Drive.The drive, which will take place up until July 1, serves to provide the Ministry with vital figures on how many residents are without jobs and give them a better understanding of which training and job placement programmes are needed.As of yesterday afternoon, 497 people had filled out surveys either online or at locations across the Island. The most recent unemployment data, taken from a 2009 Labour Force survey, gives Bermuda’s rate as 4.5 percent.Ms Wilson said she felt encouraged by the numbers of people coming out to register, but urged more to step up to the plate. “I just implore everyone to please spend the five minutes to register because we can’t properly plan programmes and initiatives if we do not know who the population is we are trying to service,” she said.One of the people who came out to register at the Devonshire Recreational Club and talk with Ms Wilson was St Claire Trott, aged 70. Mr Trott has been without steady work for the past six months and said employers were hesitant to hire him because of his age.“I have been making out application forms but nothing has come up and it appears that age has something to do with it.“Once you go 45-50 and you put that on the application form that works against you because some of these jobs I can do I see other people doing it, even foreigners doing it.”He hoped the drive would open up other job opportunities and encouraged the Minister to develop programmes which could help older residents find work. Donavin Landy, 33, was laid off four weeks ago from his job at CableVision.Mr Landy, who only has use of one hand, said potential employers saw his disability “as a liability”. He said he felt like he was out of a job before applying for it.He hoped the employment drive would open up some doors and wanted to find out whether there were job resources available for people with disabilities.Another man was less optimistic about the outcome of filling out the unemployment survey, but said his son’s mother encouraged him to come out anyway.The man who asked not to be named said: “I have been to the job fairs and I got one call from that, but I don’t expect anything to come out of this. It’s just to find out who is unemployed, but what is the point of it? They should really know how many people are unemployed in a sense.”The man admitted to being very frustrated after losing his job last September.While many people were dealing with hardships, Ms Wilson said they thanked her for speaking with them.She said many knew she couldn’t give them a job, but thought it was important to show the Ministry was listening and understanding of their pain.“It’s very uncomfortable to say I feel it because I am employed but I recognise the struggles the recession has caused,” she said.“People are feeling that we are listening and we [see] their pain and are trying to do what we can. We get it and are trying to work together.”For more information on the survey call 297-1714 or log on to www.gov.bm and select the Unemployment Registration icon.