With the loss of another 4,700 jobs in May 2007, the U.S. textile and apparel manufacturing sector now has lost 1,001,100 jobs – a 65 percent loss of employment in the industry – since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in January 1994. Despite these losses, the sector continues to employ 547,800 according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Breaking down the numbers, the U.S. textile industry lost 360,600 jobs (52 percent employment loss) and the U.S. apparel industry another 640,500 jobs (75 percent employment loss) over this period.
"The loss of one million jobs is an outrage. It drives home the point that the current U.S. trade policy has failed and must be changed now. An uncontrolled flood of imports, often heavily subsidized, is crippling the U.S. textile industry," said American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition Executive Director Auggie Tantillo.
“The loss of these one million jobs also negatively impacts America’s national security, as textiles and apparel products are vital the U.S. military. Moreover, the damage happening to the textile industry also is occurring in other manufacturing sectors critical to our military industrial base,” continued Tantillo.
Textile and apparel jobs losses in key states since 1994 are as follows:
• Alabama -- 60,800 losses
• California -- 38,900 losses
• Georgia -- 77,355 losses
• New York -- 80,550 losses
• North Carolina -- 193,000 losses
• South Carolina -- 90,211 losses
• Virginia -- 43,685 losses |