Textile Manufacturing Workers

Employers

There are approximately 111,300 workers employed in apparel manufacturing and 18,060 textile, apparel, and furnishings workers in the United States. Most textile production workers are employed either in mills that spin and weave gray goods, or in finishing plants, where gray goods are treated with processes such as dyeing and bleaching. Some textile companies combine these two stages of manufacturing under one roof.

Employment opportunities for textile manufacturing workers are concentrated in the southeastern states. Many of the jobs in this industry are located in North Carolina, California, and Georgia.

Starting Out

Most textile production workers obtain their jobs by employment postings through online agencies and newspapers or by applying directly to the personnel office of a textile plant. A new worker usually receives between a week and several months of on-the-job training, depending on the complexity of the job.

Graduates of textile technology programs in colleges and technical institutes may be informed about job openings through their school's career services office. They may be able to line up permanent positions before graduation. Sometimes students in technical programs are sponsored by a local textile company, and upon graduation, they go to work for the sponsoring company.