Businesses on the Virgin Islands generated $19.5 billion in sales and employed 35,300 people with $1.1 billion in annual payroll, in 2007, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The bureau's Economic Census of Island Areas is conducted every five years and analyzes the economies of the U.S.V.I., Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Northern Marianas Islands, all territories of the U.S. The economic census profiles the territory as a whole, and the three islands – St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas – individually for businesses with paid employees. The 2007 Economic Census included the petroleum refinery industry, which was excluded in the 2002 Economic Census.

The survey was taken prior to the onset of the current recession.

According to the survey, between the 2002 and 2007 surveys, the Virgin Islands' retail trade sales increased 15 percent, to $1.4 billion. Retail trade employment over the same period increased two percent to 6,773 in 2007. Payroll increased 14 percent to $146.1 million in 2007.

In 2007, the largest share of retail sales was found in clothing and clothing accessories stores – 30 percent of total retail sales – and in food and beverage stores – 18 percent of total retail sales. Clothing and clothing accessories store sales increased three percent, from $403.5 million in 2002 to $414.0 million in 2007.

Food and beverage store sales increased 14 percent, from $217.3 million in 2002 to $246.8 million in 2007.

The vast majority of those sales – 83 percent – took place on St. Croix, according to the survey. Businesses in St. Croix reported $16.1 billion in total sales in 2007 compared to $3.1 billion in total sales on St Thomas.

Only four percent of the territory's businesses employed 50 or more employees, yet those 109 business accounted for 84 percent – $16.3 billion – of total sales.

The data for the U.S. Virgin Islands are available through the Census Bureau's American FactFinder, an online data tool that allows users to access, filter, manipulate and extract data. Data for the Northern Mariana Islands were released in March 2009 and data for Guam in May 2009. Data for American Samoa and Puerto Rico will be released between August 2009 and September 2010.

More information about the Economic Census of Island Areas is available at the Census Bureau website.