Virgin Islands' Shrinking Employment Base Contradicts Low Unemployment Claims

A recent economic profile from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has revealed that employment in the U.S. Virgin Islands has been shrinking over the past five years, while Puerto Rico and the mainland have seen growth.

The report shows that between 2019 and 2024, the USVI experienced a decline in job growth of 5.7%, compared to an 8.4% increase in Puerto Rico and a 4.7% rise in the United States.

Federal data also indicate that this trend has continued into 2026, with preliminary Bureau of Labor Statistics figures showing a 5.8% decline in total nonfarm wage and salary employment from June 2025 to June 2026.

This challenges Governor Albert Bryan Jr.'s narrative that the territory's low unemployment rate is evidence of a strong economy and an acute shortage of available workers.