From December 2024 to March 2025, private-sector businesses in the U.S. Virgin Islands experienced a net loss of 496 jobs, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Gross job losses from closing and contracting establishments totaled 1,735, while gross job gains from opening and expanding establishments amounted to 1,239.
Michael G. Phinney, Acting Regional Commissioner for the BLS, noted that this net employment decline occurred during the first quarter of 2025. In comparison, the previous quarter saw a larger gap, with gross job losses exceeding gains by 1,296 jobs.
Gross job losses represented 7.6 percent of private-sector employment in the U.S. Virgin Islands for the first quarter of 2025. Nationally, gross job losses accounted for 5.4 percent during the same period. Contracting establishments in the territory lost 780 jobs—a decrease of 250 from the prior quarter—while closing establishments accounted for a loss of 955 jobs, down by 549 compared to the previous quarter.
Gross job gains made up 5.4 percent of private-sector employment in the U.S. Virgin Islands and stood at 5.6 percent nationally in this period. Expanding establishments within the territory contributed to an increase of 685 jobs—a reduction of 172 from the previous quarter—while opening establishments added another 554 jobs, which was an increase of 173 over last quarter’s figure.
The Business Employment Dynamics (BED) statistics track these changes by monitoring employment shifts at all private businesses across each state and territory from one quarter to another. The BED data series include information on gross job gains and losses by industry subsector and employer size class for states and territories including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
The BED program is part of a federal-state cooperative initiative called Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), with data compiled using existing QCEW records.
Additional information on methodology and definitions can be found through resources provided by BLS such as their Business Employment Dynamics homepage and technical notes.
The next release covering second-quarter results is scheduled for February 26, 2026.
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