REPORT OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS + 15

 In another attempt to meet difficult recruitment, the government
embarked on its first large-scale effort to provide housing for em-
ployees recruited outside of the Virgin Islands, thereby making
quarters available in St. Thomas at reduced rentals to about 50
teachers. Along similar lines, legislative authority is being used
to allow reimbursement of most normal expenses incurred by em-
ployees and their families traveling to the Virgin Islands to accept
employment.
 A depleted labor market made short by our rapid economic
growth, our high cost of living which decreases attractiveness of
our salaries, and our acute shortage of middle-income housing are
still the major factors in making recruitment difficult, particularly
for those professions and skills which must be recruited from out-
side. While the salary factor is important, especially to resident
personnel, the housing and cost of living factors are the most
serious in terms of attracting the skills and professions which are
not produced by local educational and training facilities; and un-
til these problems are rectified we will not be in a favorable com-
petitive position to attract such employees to our Islands.
 The following is a distribution of positions as to major occupa-
tional groups and also showing the total number of permanent
employees of the Government of the Virgin Islands.

 St. Thomas St. Croix Total
 and St. John

Clerical ......-------- -------------- ---------------- 219 87 306
Administrative -. ... .......- ------------------- 92 37 129
Supervisory --------------------------------------- 5 5 10
Professional -_------------ 290 200 490
Subprofessional ---.... ---- ---------------- 94 87 181
Public Safety -__ _--------- ----------------------- 71 84 155
Inspectional -....- -- ----- -------------- -- 11 6 17
Equipment operators --------------------------------- 38 34 72
Trades and labor ------------------------------------- 220 169 389
Housekeeping -...........----------------------- 84 81 165
Food service ____ ...... -----------.----- -------- 69 53 122
Farming and gardening .--- --------------------- 3 0 3
 Total Classified Service------------------ 1,196 843 2,039
Unclassified Service---------------- --------. --. ..222
 Total Virgin Islands- -- 2, 261



 Virgin Islands Planning Board

 During the year the Planning Board prepared the zoning regula-
tions which were enacted as subchapters III and IV of chapter 3, title
29 of the Virgin Islands Code. As provided therein, the Board also
prepared zoning maps and subdivision regulations and held public