ST. CROIX — Private-sector employment in the U.S. Virgin Islands recorded a significant rebound in the second quarter of 2025, with job gains outpacing job losses and resulting in a net increase of 1,284 jobs, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

From March to June 2025, gross job gains from private-sector establishments that either opened or expanded totaled 3,514, while gross job losses from businesses that closed or reduced employment reached 2,230. Acting Regional Commissioner Michael G. Phinney said the difference between the two figures produced the net employment gain for the quarter.

The turnaround follows the previous quarter, when the territory experienced a net loss of 496 jobs as gross job losses exceeded gross job gains.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks these movements through its Business Employment Dynamics program, which measures employment changes occurring at private-sector establishments from the third month of one quarter to the third month of the next. The change in employment over time reflects the combined effect of expansions, contractions, business openings, and closures across the economy.

Job gains driven by new and expanding businesses

During the second quarter of 2025, gross job gains represented 15.0 percent of private-sector employment in the Virgin Islands. By comparison, gross job gains accounted for 5.7 percent of private-sector employment across the United States.

Gross job gains include increases in employment at existing businesses as well as new jobs created when establishments open. In the territory, expanding establishments added 1,755 jobs during the quarter, representing an increase of 1,070 jobs compared with the previous quarter.

Newly opened establishments accounted for 1,759 jobs gained during the same period, an increase of 1,205 jobs from the previous quarter.

Job losses also rose during the quarter 

Despite the surge in job gains, the territory also experienced notable job losses.

Gross job losses represented 9.5 percent of private-sector employment in the Virgin Islands during the second quarter of 2025. In the United States overall, gross job losses accounted for 6.0 percent of private-sector employment.

Job losses occur when employment declines at existing businesses or when establishments close entirely. In the Virgin Islands, contracting establishments shed 1,029 jobs during the quarter, an increase of 249 jobs compared with the prior quarter.

Closures of establishments accounted for the loss of 1,201 jobs, which represented an increase of 246 jobs from the previous quarter.

Business Employment Dynamics statistics track the movement of jobs across private-sector establishments and measure how employment changes from quarter to quarter. The net change in employment is calculated as the difference between total gross job gains and total gross job losses.

These data are produced through the Business Employment Dynamics program, which is part of a federal-state cooperative system known as the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. The statistics are compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics using records already collected through the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program.

The Business Employment Dynamics data series includes information on gross job gains and losses by industry subsector across the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The data also provide information on job gains and losses at the firm level based on employer size classifications.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also released comparative data showing gross job gains and losses as a percentage of employment across states and territories. The Business Employment Dynamics report for the third quarter of 2025 is scheduled for release on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.