BVI employment on the rise, Premier says

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has reported a steady increase in employment across the British Virgin Islands (BVI) since 2022, following the easing of post-pandemic impacts.

This positive trend continued into 2023, with a 1.9 percent increase in employment compared to 2022,” Wheatley stated during his budget address for the 2025 fiscal year last week. In 2023, a total of 21,543 persons were employed in the territory, and Wheatley anticipates further increases in employment by the end of 2024 and into 2025. “Based on the expected growth of the economy in 2024, driven by a boost in tourism and construction activities, we expect employment to grow by one to two percent over 2023,” the Premier noted.

He added that this trend is expected to continue in 2025, with the potential for even higher growth, given the government’s focus on delivering large infrastructure projects and facilitating private sector tourism and development initiatives. This comes after concerns in previous years that unemployment was on the rise in the territory. In response, the government launched the RATED (Registration, Apprenticeship, Training, Employment, and Development) programme in late 2022, designed to provide training and employment opportunities for Belongers who are either unemployed or underemployed.