Virgin Islands Hiring Nets Just 22 Jobs in Q1
Employers in the territory are replacing nearly as many workers as they hire, so staffing budgets should plan for high turnover.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Employment
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Private employers in the U.S. Virgin Islands added a net 22 jobs in the first quarter of 2026, as 1,747 gross job gains were offset by 1,725 job losses between December 2025 and March 2026. The result comes from territory data that operators in the Virgin Islands and the broader U.S. labor market will compare against a stronger fourth quarter.
Why it matters
The near-flat first-quarter result follows a net gain of 659 jobs in Q4 2025, showing hiring momentum slowed sharply in the territory. For operators, the balance between openings and closings signals how much of the local labor pool is turning over versus expanding, which shapes hiring costs and staffing plans.
Private employers in the U.S. Virgin Islands generated 1,747 gross job gains against 1,725 losses in the first quarter of 2026, a net gain of 22 jobs. That compares with a net gain of 659 jobs in Q4 2025, and the territory's gross gains equaled 7.3 percent of private employment against a national rate of 5.5 percent, though the cause of the slowdown is not identified in the data.
The players
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The federal statistical agency that publishes national employment, job openings, and consumer expenditure data used by businesses to benchmark hiring and spending trends.
The details
Gross job gains came from two sources: existing businesses added 1,053 jobs while new business establishments accounted for 694. Those gains were offset by closing and contracting establishments, which eliminated 1,725 positions over the same December-to-March window. Because the territory's gross gain rate ran well above the national figure, the small net result reflects heavy turnover rather than a lack of hiring activity.
Timeline
Q4 2025: Private-sector net gain of 659 jobs in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
December 2025 to March 2026: Private employers gained 1,747 jobs and lost 1,725.
September 2026: National job openings held flat at 7.5 million.
2025: Average consumer unit expenditures rose 4.3 percent to $81,905.
Thursday, November 5, 2026: BLS released federal economic figures.
Market Landscape
The territory's gross gain rate of 7.3 percent exceeded the national rate of 5.5 percent, which points to a high-turnover labor market in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Measured against the national job openings total of 7.5 million reported for September, the territory's small net gain shows how much local hiring depends on replacing departing workers rather than adding positions.
Operators in the U.S. Virgin Islands should expect hiring to rely heavily on replacing departing staff, so recruiting budgets and turnover costs deserve close review. Businesses that compete for workers should track whether the territory's gross gain rate holds above the national figure in coming quarters.
The takeaway
Operators should treat the Virgin Islands' near-flat quarter as a signal that turnover, not expansion, is driving local hiring, so workforce planning should assume replacement hiring is the main job. Track the next quarter's gross gains and losses against this 22-job net result to judge whether hiring demand is recovering.
Further reading
For broader context on hiring and turnover trends, explore more Employment coverage on We are Main Street.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Vifreepress.
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