Apparel Industry Workers

Employment of apparel, textile, and furniture workers is expected to decline through 2032, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Increased imports, use of offshore assembly, and greater productivity through the introduction of labor-saving machinery will reduce the demand for these workers.

Hand sewing is expected to decrease but far less than other areas of apparel work due to the complexity of these tasks and difficulties in performing them by machine. Workers who have cross-trained and are capable of performing several different functions have a better chance at remaining in the field during periods of decline. Also, many pre-sewing functions are expected to be performed domestically, so workers in this area will not be as adversely affected. Also, the market for luxury hand-produced clothes is expected to remain steady.

The sewing process is expected to remain relatively nonautomated. Machine operators will continue to perform most sewing functions, and automated sewing will be limited to simple tasks. Better sewing machines will increase the productivity of operators and significantly decrease the amount of time needed to train them. Other functions, such as training, also will see productivity increases and further reduce the demand for production workers.

Because of the large size of this occupation, many thousands of job openings will arise each year to replace workers who retire, leave, or transfer to other fields.

Employment in the domestic apparel industry has declined dramatically in recent years as foreign companies have become able to produce goods less expensively than the United States. Changing trade regulations are the most significant factor in this decline. In 2005, the World Trade Organization lifted quotas for apparel and textile products that have prompted U.S. retailers to import greater quantities of apparel made in foreign countries with less expensive labor. In addition, domestic production has continued to move abroad, causing further employment decline for apparel workers in the United States.

In those areas of apparel such as women's clothing, where market changes occur rapidly, domestic manufacturers can respond more quickly, giving them some advantage, especially in high-fashion items. Using computers and electronic data, manufacturers can keep retailers stocked with popular items and reduce production of those not selling well. However, the industry is changing in favor of large manufacturers who have more technology available than the smaller, less efficient companies. New technologies, such as computer-controlled processing and instrumentation, will require more technicians with computer skills. In the United States, the top apparel companies in terms of revenue in 2023 were Nike, The Gap, and TJX companies according to a report by the research group Statista.com.

As consumers increasingly prefer to buy new mass-produced apparel, the need for custom-made clothes, and thus for custom tailors and sewers, also will decline.