Posted Date: 8/1/2003
U.S Apparel Jobs at Record Low
U.S. apparel employment, which has been on the decline for the past three decades, dropped below 500,000 in April for the first time in 30 years, according to the Labor Department's employment report released in May. In April alone, apparel manufacturers cut an additional 7,000 seasonally adjusted jobs from payrolls, bringing the total number of industry job losses since April 2002 to 28,000, and employment totals in the sector to 495,000 workers.
U.S. apparel employment, which has been on the decline for the past three decades, dropped below 500,000 in April for the first time in 30 years, according to the Labor Department's employment report released in May. In April alone, apparel manufacturers cut an additional 7,000 seasonally adjusted jobs from payrolls, bringing the total number of industry job losses since April 2002 to 28,000, and employment totals in the sector to 495,000 workers.
Overall, apparel employment, on a seasonally adjusted basis, has lost nearly 1 million workers in the past 30 years, according to the Labor Department. Likewise, employment in the textile sector fell another 6,000 jobs in April, bringing total losses during the past year to 27,000 and dropping total employment in the sector to 409,000. The U.S. knitting sector has lost 6,500 jobs, or 7 percent of its work force, during the last year (March 2002 through March 2003), the most of any textile sector.
On the retail side, department stores also cut an additional 34,000 from payrolls in April, while employment in the sector fell by 101,000 jobs year-over-year. Overall unemployment jumped to 6 percent.
formoreinformation
U.S. Department of Labor
866-4-USA-DOL . www.dol.gov
Overall, apparel employment, on a seasonally adjusted basis, has lost nearly 1 million workers in the past 30 years, according to the Labor Department. Likewise, employment in the textile sector fell another 6,000 jobs in April, bringing total losses during the past year to 27,000 and dropping total employment in the sector to 409,000. The U.S. knitting sector has lost 6,500 jobs, or 7 percent of its work force, during the last year (March 2002 through March 2003), the most of any textile sector.
On the retail side, department stores also cut an additional 34,000 from payrolls in April, while employment in the sector fell by 101,000 jobs year-over-year. Overall unemployment jumped to 6 percent.
formoreinformation
U.S. Department of Labor
866-4-USA-DOL . www.dol.gov