Table 3. Number of private sector establishments by direction of employment change, annual March to March Virgin Islands Total private Establishments gaining jobs Establishments losing jobs Year ended Net change(1) Total Expanding Opening Total Contracting Closing establishments establishments establishments establishments March 1994 58 1,065 637 428 1,048 678 370 March 1995 -26 927 598 329 1,128 773 355 March 1996 -171 923 608 315 1,209 723 486 March 1997 -5 1,019 659 360 987 622 365 March 1998 73 992 617 375 931 629 302 March 1999 -46 888 633 255 923 622 301 March 2000 -189 746 622 124 886 573 313 March 2001 175 943 546 397 845 623 222 March 2002 -25 843 583 260 947 662 285 March 2003 -18 895 638 257 861 586 275 March 2004 -18 894 632 262 858 578 280 March 2005 72 976 659 317 777 532 245 March 2006 72 964 671 293 841 620 221 March 2007 -36 902 650 252 986 698 288 March 2008 41 973 673 300 922 663 259 March 2009 19 867 588 279 1,042 782 260 March 2010 -77 839 601 238 1,015 700 315 March 2011 10 929 678 251 870 629 241 March 2012 -78 804 593 211 1,004 715 289 March 2013 -13 832 573 259 933 661 272 March 2014 -50 725 529 196 953 707 246 March 2015 18 812 576 236 813 595 218 March 2016 -63 774 598 176 868 629 239 March 2017 -28 797 595 202 813 583 230 March 2018 -356 526 376 150 1,251 745 506 March 2019 99 920 615 305 620 414 206 March 2020 69 803 536 267 748 550 198 March 2021 -80 640 432 208 953 665 288 March 2022 72 844 565 279 733 526 207 March 2023 21 838 581 257 742 506 236 (1) Net change is the difference between the number of opening establishments and the number of closing establishments.