The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that for the U.S. Virgin Islands, the net gain in employment from December 2023 to March 2024 was a mere 283 jobs.
Gross job gains during that time period, from opening and expanding establishments in the private sector were 1423, representing 5.6% of private sector employment.
Meanwhile, closing and contracting businesses eliminated 1140 jobs, accounting for 4.5% of private-sector employment, said the BLS in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The relatively flat job market was reflected nationally as well in the past month, as total non-farm employment across the United States “was essentially unchanged” in October according to the BLS, with only 12,000 jobs added to the rolls. National trends include job increases in the healthcare and government sector, alongside losses in temporary help services. Manufacturing jobs were also lost due to strike activity, the BLS says.
According to the V.I. Department of Labor, there were 35,788 non-farm jobs in the territory in July 2024, down from 35,806 in July 2023.
The top occupations advertised online as of November 6, according to VIDOL, were general maintenance and repair workers, followed by maids and housekeeping cleaners, restaurant cooks, bartenders and construction managers respectively.
Last year, entry level jobs in the Virgin Islands paid just under $30,000 on average, while those requiring experience paid an average of just over $59,000, VIDOL statistics report.
