[14] Before the Second World War, Jersey's economy was dominated by agriculture, however after liberation, tourism to the island became popular.

The main crop, wheat, was exported and sold to Spanish merchants in St Malo.

Unlike in England, enclosure was done by the peasantry in order to make profit from producing cider, the production of which moved Jersey's economy from self-sufficiency to cash-crop agriculture.

[19] The number of orchards had been reduced to such a level that the destruction of trees in the Great Storm of 1987 demonstrated how close the Islands had come to losing many of its traditional cider apple varieties.

A concerted effort was made to identify and preserve surviving varieties and new orchards were planted.

Since the 1800s a significant portion of the Jersey economy has been greenhouse agriculture raising fruits, vegetables and flowers under glass.

There was a motion in the Jersey legislature in early 2022 to repurpose unused greenhouses as construction sites for housing.

UK public money is not ordinarily spent in the island, and Jersey residents do not pay tax or national insurance contributions to HMRC.

The States make, upon agreement with Westminster, a contribution to the costs of its relationship in the form of a territorial army on the island.

[26] Impôts are charged on road fuel, vehicles, alcohol and tobacco and are similar to UK excise duties.

[24] Jersey is considered a 'tax haven' by some sources (e.g. the Tax Justice Network),[27] but this label is contested.

[28] Jersey has a long history of tax avoidance and smuggling due to its special constitutional status.

[35] Low-value consignment relief provided the mechanism for VAT-free imports from the Channel Islands to the UK.

[39] It attracts deposits from customers outside of the island, seeking the advantages such places offer, like reduced tax burdens.

In 2017's OECD Rating, Jersey scored top marks from the OECD on tax transparency, receiving a "fully compliant" rating and as recently as 2019 The European Council of Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) have formally confirmed Jersey a Co-operative Jurisdiction.

In the fourth quarter of 2020, the total value of banking deposits held in Jersey decreased from £137.8bn to £131.6bn while the net asset value of regulated funds under administration increased by £12.6bn to £378.1bn.

SandpiperCI Limited operate a chain of stores in Jersey, their franchises include well-known names, such as Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, Iceland, and Costa Coffee.

[44] A number of online retailers, and fulfillment houses operate from the Channel Islands, including Jersey, supplying a variety of low-value goods such as CDs, DVDs, video games, and gadgets.

In April 2012 the UK Government made law changes to prevent the Channel Islands continued exploitation of LVCR, meaning that UK residents would have to pay the full VAT amount on items imported from the Channel Islands.

One notable attraction is Jersey Zoo in Trinity, a wildlife park founded by conservationist Gerald Durrell.

[15] In 2008, most goods imported and exported were transported by Huelin-Renouf,[50] Condor Logistics,[51] and other smaller operators, via either Saint Helier harbour, or Jersey Airport.

During the period 1984 to 1994, British Channel Island Ferries were responsible for much shipping to and from the United Kingdom.

Genuine Jersey is a brand icon found on products made locally within the island.

Contemporary green politics allows the Genuine Jersey brand to align itself with environmental goals in the modern age of buying local.

In January 2021, Numbeo, an online cost-of-living index, reported that Jersey was the "world's 'most expensive place to live'.

Underlying inflation, as measured by the annual change in RPI(Y), increased by 2.3% over the twelve months to March 2020.

[56] Most of Jersey's physical linkages are with southern Great Britain, rather than the geographically nearer northern France.

Despite this, the finance industry means Jersey has economic (particularly financial) linkages with countries all over the world, particularly with emerging markets.