The Virgin Islands Department of Property and Procurement houses a Bureau of Economic Research that tracks economic indicators affecting residents across St. Thomas, St. Croix, and the broader territory, yet many small business owners and community members remain unaware the resource exists.
For entrepreneurs, government officials, and anyone trying to understand what drives the USVI economy, the bureau’s data collection and analysis could inform decisions about hiring, expansion, or policy advocacy—if residents know where to look.
A Data Hub Operating Quietly on St. Thomas
The Bureau of Economic Research maintains offices at 8201 Subbase, Suite 4 on St. Thomas and at 3274 Estate Richmond in Christiansted on St. Croix. The bureau operates alongside other divisions within the Department of Property and Procurement, including procurement, asset management, transportation, and central warehousing operations.
The bureau publishes monthly economic indicators—the types of statistics that typically capture employment trends, price movements, business activity, and consumer behavior across the islands. These monthly snapshots form the foundation for understanding whether the territory’s economy is expanding or contracting.
Yet the bureau’s online presence remains minimal. Beyond a basic directory listing on the department’s website, there is little public-facing information about what data the bureau collects, how to access it, or how recent reports compare to historical trends.
Why Monthly Economic Data Matters to Local Businesses
Economic indicators serve as early warning systems. When construction permits drop, it signals future job losses in that sector. When tourism metrics rise, hospitality and retail businesses can anticipate increased customer demand. Rising inflation affects everything from grocery prices to commercial rent.
Small business owners in the USVI operate in a unique environment: a territory economy heavily dependent on tourism, federal spending, and external shipping costs. Understanding local economic trends helps business leaders decide whether to hire staff, stock inventory, or postpone investments.
Government agencies also rely on sound economic data to allocate resources, set policy priorities, and measure the effectiveness of development programs. The Legislature and executive agencies should be grounding decisions in current, credible information about the territory’s economic performance.
The Disconnect Between Data Collection and Public Awareness
The University of the Virgin Islands, through its Eastern Caribbean Center and Social Research Institute, publishes census reports and maintains research programs that feed into the broader information ecosystem about the islands. Yet the Bureau of Economic Research’s monthly indicators—which should be front and center in public discourse—rarely surface in local news or business conversations.
A call to the bureau’s St. Thomas office during posted business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding federal and local holidays) remains the most direct path to accessing current economic reports. The lack of an online portal or downloadable data repository creates an unnecessary barrier for residents seeking this information.
What Comes Next
Modernizing the bureau’s public interface—posting recent economic indicators online, explaining what each metric means, and contextualizing trends against historical data—would serve the territory well. Transparency about the state of the USVI economy empowers residents to make informed decisions about their livelihoods and businesses.
Anyone interested in accessing the Bureau of Economic Research’s data can contact the St. Thomas office at 340-774-0828 or the St. Croix office at 340-773-1561 during regular business hours.
