The global fashion industry is experiencing record-breaking unemployment, and this issue has not yet reached the level of a national health crisis. The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the corrosive power of global capitalism. Large corporations, which have amassed billions of dollars over decades, often refuse to pay their suppliers for finished orders or canceled orders. They also require discounts for goods produced at poverty wages. This means that they outsource these risks to countries where people are least likely to have access to social protection or income support. Supplier factories are often operating on razor-thin margins, and some have even shut down.
Throughout the period from 1990 to 2011, the average number of employees per establishment decreased from thirty-eight to twenty-four. However, the number of employees per establishment in men’s and women’s cut-and-sew apparel manufacturing remained about the same. In the wholesale trade sector, employment decreased by only 1.7 percent from 1990 to 2011, resulting in a 2.4 percent decline in job numbers. This sector employs more than 250,000 people.
When the government cut the number of garment manufacturing jobs in the United States, the first casualties were the people in the fashion retail sector. The majority of these workers were living on minimum wage or barely above. These individuals were not only struggling to survive, but also had difficulty paying their rent and other expenses. Increasing the price of clothing by 20 cents per item would lift all garment workers in India from poverty. In addition to this, consumers should expect the fashion industry to adhere to fair working conditions.
