The U.S. Virgin Islands private sector added only 22 jobs in the opening quarter of 2026, federal data showed Thursday, as robust recruitment efforts were nearly cancelled out by simultaneous workforce reductions.
From December 2025 through March, employers across the territory created 1,747 positions through new ventures and business expansion, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. At the same time, closures and contracting operations shed 1,725 jobs, leaving the territory with minimal net employment movement.
The slowdown stands in sharp contrast to the final three months of 2025, when job creation outpaced losses by 659 positions, according to Georgia Wright, an economist with the BLS Northeast Information Office in Boston.
Expanding firms accounted for 1,053 of the new positions, while 694 came from businesses launching operations in the territory for the first time.
Despite the weak headline figure, the USVI's rate of workforce turnover exceeded the national average. Job creation represented 7.3 percent of total private employment in the islands during the quarter, compared with 5.5 percent nationwide.
The territorial slowdown reflected broader labour market weakness across the United States. The BLS reported 7.5 million job openings in September, while hiring and separations both held steady at 5.4 million and 5.3 million respectively. American households also showed signs of financial pressure: average annual spending rose 4.3 percent in 2025 to $81,905.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first.