TNAG-0147-FCO40-183-Exports-of-textiles-to-United-States-of-America-1969 — Page 153

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Employment in textiles and apparel has not kept pace with the growth of overall employment. Employment in all-manufacturing in August 1969 was 20.3 million; an increase of 120,000 from July and about 700,000 above the January 1968 level.

By contrast the employment figures for August 1969 (seasonally adjusted) were:'

In apparel:

10,000 below July

In textile: 5,000 below July

The combined figure of textiles and apparel employment at 2,394,000 was the lowest level since April 1968.

In the textile mill industry, in August 1969, there were 983,000 persons employed. This was the lowest since January 1968.

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In apparel in August 1969, there were 1,411,000 persons employed. This was the lowest level, with one exception, since August 1968.

The unemployment rates in textiles and apparel have been consistently higher than in all-manufacturing.

for all workers

for all manufacturing for textile workers

for apparel workers

3.5%

2.8%

4.5%

5.3%

Let me also give you some perspective on wages and earnings in textiles and apparel. I recognize that even though the textile and apparel wage rates are among the lowest in the United States, they perhaps may appear quite substantial compared the wage rates in the Far East.

In August of 1969, the average textile wage rate was the apparel wage rate was

In terms of weekly earnings: textiles--

apparel--

$2.38 an hour $2.32 an hour

$97.58 $84.45

The normal work week in textiles is about 40 hours and in apparel about 36 hours.

In Japan, the hourly earnings range from 37-45 cents an hour and with fringe benefits added the labor costs come to between 42 and 54 cents per hour.

The average hourly earnings in Korea run between 8-16 per hour

Taiwan Hong Kong

9-13 per hour 27-31¢ per hour