The global garment industry is changing quickly and radically, with the worldwide recession exacerbating this change. Old jobs are disappearing and new ones emerging. But, as David Birnbaum points out, the new jobs are invariably on the supplier side and they not only require the right skills but also the right people.

If you are currently working on the customer side, your job may well be in jeopardy.

1. Companies are downsizing: In good times, three people can do the work of two. In difficult times, companies must cut overheads. As the market environment deteriorates, companies now expect two people to do the work of two, or even worse.
2. Companies are closing unprofitable divisions: In difficult times, senior management must make difficult decisions, possibly about your job. The result is where once three people did the work of two, now all three are unemployed as zero people are left to do zero work.
3. Companies are going bankrupt: Senior management, having failed to make serious decisions, are now unable to make any decisions at all, as they and everyone else are now unemployed.
4. Consolidation: Smaller companies are being bought out by larger companies with the result that your company has now been reduced to division level in which case you might well fall prey to either 1 or 2 above.
5. Off-shoring: Companies are moving many of their preproduction and sourcing operations overseas. Your job may move to Hong Kong, Singapore or even Switzerland sans vous.
6. Outsourcing: Companies are closing departments and giving the work to Li & Fung or other supply chain management specialists.
7. Sectorcide: Whole sectors such as private label importers are disappearing - killed off by retailers moving to factory direct.

All these jobs are disappearing at an increasing rate. In retrospect, the lucky people are those who were fired early. Many of those found new jobs.

Today headhunters are inundated with CVs from garment sourcing specialists and other professionals with 20+ years experience who, having previously earned salaries in excess of $400k, cannot find jobs paying $100k.

Many of these "highly experienced" people will never work again, not because they are lazy or incompetent, but rather because their job has disappeared, gone the way of the ostler, the flenzer, and the egg-candler.

Change brings opportunity

That was the bad news. There is good news. The global garment industry is changing quickly and radically. The world-wide recession has exacerbated that change. New jobs are appearing.

However, the new jobs are on the supplier side. As factories move from product maker to service supplier, they need experienced and knowledgeable professionals. For the right people, with the right skills, they will pay the right salary.

Just as the retailers move to factory direct, so too are the factories moving towards retailer direct.

Many of the major suppliers recognise they need a home in the customers' home country. In this sense, the factories themselves are off shoring.

They are moving their merchandising and design assist departments away from China, Hong Kong, Korea to New York, Los Angeles, London and Paris.

Welcome to the resurrected supplier-owned private label importer sector. The factory needs you - provided you have the skills it wants.