Virgin Islands (U.S.) — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Virgin Islands (U.S.), 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Virgin Islands (U.S.) was 11.44% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 14.37% in 2020. The lowest was 9.52% in 2007 (about 1.2× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.14% per year.
Virgin Islands (U.S.) ranks 30 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 16%. The median for Latin America & Caribbean is 5.99%, so Virgin Islands (U.S.) sits above it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 20% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 2%. Within Latin America & Caribbean it ranks 4 of 31 economies; St. Lucia (9.45%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 22% in 2020. That is 5% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 45th of 187 in 1991 → 71st of 187 in 2000 → 48th of 187 in 2010 → 32nd of 187 in 2020 → 28th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11.44% | +0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 11.42% | +0.1 pp |
| 2023 | 11.36% | -0.7 pp |
| 2022 | 12.09% | -1.4 pp |
| 2021 | 13.51% | -0.9 pp |
| 2020 | 14.37% | +2.6 pp |
| 2019 | 11.77% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 11.7% | +0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 11.45% | -0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 11.73% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 11.65% | -0.2 pp |
| 2014 | 11.87% | +0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 11.8% | +0.4 pp |
| 2012 | 11.39% | +0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 11.34% | +0.3 pp |
| 2010 | 11.06% | +0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 10.86% | +1.3 pp |
| 2008 | 9.61% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 9.52% | -0.2 pp |
| 2006 | 9.73% | -0.5 pp |
| 2005 | 10.23% | -0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 10.27% | -0.3 pp |
| 2003 | 10.57% | +0.3 pp |
| 2002 | 10.23% | +0.3 pp |
| 2001 | 9.97% | +0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 9.83% | -0.3 pp |
| 1999 | 10.17% | -0.3 pp |
| 1998 | 10.45% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 10.55% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 10.65% | +0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 10.61% | -0.3 pp |
| 1994 | 10.96% | -0.2 pp |
| 1993 | 11.19% | +0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 11.09% | +0.2 pp |
| 1991 | 10.92% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Virgin Islands (U.S.)’s Unemployment in 1992?
11.09% (1992). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Virgin Islands (U.S.)’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +4.8% in total — about 0.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 11.44%; 2024: 11.42%; 2023: 11.36%; 2022: 12.09%; 2021: 13.51%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.