The latest data collected from industry sources show that the monthly minimum wages for garment workers vary significantly in the world, ranging from as low as USD $26 in Ethiopia to USD $1,764 in Belgium in 2019. The world average stood at USD $470/month that year.
These figures echo the findings of a 2017 study by Public Radio International, which also shows a significant variation of the minimum wage level among garment workers worldwide. Meanwhile, there was no clear evidence that the minimum wage level in 2019 was notably higher than in 2017 in many countries we examined.
On the other hand, we need to interpret the minimum wage level in the context of the local living wage. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), a living wage is defined as the theoretical income level that an individual must earn to pay for basic essentials such as shelter, food, and water in the country where a person resides. As shown in the figure above, a high minimum wage in absolute terms does not always guarantee a high standard of living and vice versa. For example, while the United States offers one of the world’s highest minimum wages for garment workers (USD $1,160/month), that minimum wage level was only about 70% of the living wage (USD $1,660/month) 2018-2019. In comparison, garment workers in Indonesia earned a much lower nominal minimum wage of USD $181/month. That wage level, however, was much higher than the reported USD $103/month living wage over the same period.
Additionally, the results suggest that fashion companies’ sourcing decision today is far more than just about “chasing the lowest wage or price.” For example, while China and Vietnam are the two largest apparel suppliers for the U.S. market, the minimum wage level for garment workers in the two countries have exceeded most of their competitors in Asia.
By Emma Davis (Research Assistant, Fashion and Apparel Studies, University of Delaware) and Dr. Sheng Lu
FASH455 Global Apparel & Textile Trade and Sourcing 
The findings in this article were rather interesting, but not surprising to me. As learned in class, one of the greatest benefits of globalization is that countries can exchange based on their own comparative advantage. In many cases, the United States has the capital intensity to provide textiles for less capital, and, consequentially, less expensive labor. Overall, the US has a large array of trade partners globally. And, countries such as Bangladesh provide the benefit of inexpensive labor through its low minimum wage. As for other, more costly countries, a huge factor considered in trade is free trade agreements. While perhaps the wage is higher, the promise of reliable exchange and no tariffs through agreements like CAFTA, make up for it. Similarly, other perks seem to outweigh the costs in these Asian countries. In addition to China and Vietnam, Cambodia is another large hub of garment production. All three of these Asian countries, as evidenced by the 2019 data, have relatively higher minimum wages. In class, I recall the conference hosted by Dr. Lu in which many companies revealed many other benefits they seek in trade partners. One of the top ones is speed to market –something that China seemed to excel in. Additionally, qualities like flexibility and resilience were especially desirable to all companies recovering from the downfalls of COVID-19. It seems that, as the article suggests, the inner workings of international trade go beyond simple transactional value. And, the threat of the global pandemic will only increase retailer’s selectivity.
great comment and thought!
Something that really surprised me in this article was the comparison of living conditions in different countries. I thought it MUST be better for a garment worker in the U.S. because they will be getting paid higher. But if their living expenses exceed that, then they are not getting a better deal by working here versus working in Indonesia. Overall, workers need to have a higher minimum wage but especially in countries where the cost of living is higher. Where companies decide to source can affect this and ultimately help garment workers.
Before posting this article, I also tried this database: living wage vs. minimum wage in the US (by state) https://livingwage.mit.edu/
It does seem in many cases, the minimum wage is below the local living wage. This raises two questions: 1) do we really need to bring back apparel manufacturing jobs if they have been so poorly paid? 2) Why or why not the government should step in and regulate “minimum wage” or we should let the market decide.
I strongly agree. Although your getting paid a certain amount, if it doesn’t meet the means of living where you reside then you’re practically working just to make it by and stay alive. That is no way to live for anyone in any country. Sourcing does play a huge role in how these workers are paid. When looking for a manufacturer many companies look for the cheapest. They don’t think of how it affects the hands making the garments.
I found this post to be very interesting and surprising! Throughout many of my courses at the University of Delaware, we have discussed the minimum wages and average income in various countries around the world that have a large focus on employment in the garment industry. However, I always assumed that the higher the wage the better off a garment worker would be. But that is not always the case which I now realize is often overlooked. My first thought when I saw the monthly minimum wages for garment workers in the 2019 chart, I assumed garment workers in the US must be doing fine financially but I did not consider the actual “living wage”. When I divided the US monthly minimum wage by 4 weeks and then by 40 hours per week my result was that the average hourly wage is only $7.25 per hour and then taxes must be deducted. As a young adult who works to pay my rent and bills, I can very easily say $7.25 per hour is not enough to live comfortably as an individual let alone as a parent or guardian supporting a household (not even considering taxes). In contrast, some of the countries at the lower end of the chart make much less but things such as food or housing also cost much less. I think there is definitely a problem with the minimum wage in many countries because so many people cannot support themselves or others with one job! I believe no one should be paid less than a living wage and I’m quite shocked this issue isn’t talked about or addressed more.
I agree with you on this particular issue. Countries should be comparing Garment workers minimum wages according t0 the country’s living wages. It is particularly saddening that US has been pointed out for the high minimum wages for its garment workers yet they continue to suffer due to the high living standards in the Country. Lets consider a garment worker earning $ 1,160 Gross income per month in US. Now deduct the months expenses (housing, electricity, health insurance, school fees e.t.c). At the end of it all, the worker remains with so much less that they end up surviving on loans. US is ranked number one in the world in job availability but is not surprising that it is ranked 56th in affordability because the living standards does not match the pay from the jobs. I think one of the best solution to the problem is for the US to increase the minimum wages to match the living costs. This approach has worked well in China and application should be adopted by US government.
We talk a lot in the industry about garment workers’ minimum wages, and what we can do to improve their wages, and a lot of it is because most of the time, what they are paid doesn’t equate to living costs. In classes, the focus has been on third-world countries that retailers go to get orders filled for lower costs, like Vietnam and Bangladesh. However, it is interesting to look at this article to see all the countries side-by-side to see their minimum wages. It is even more interesting that even the top countries that pay the most, the workers can’t live comfortably on it. I already think that is troubling because, in the United States, the federal minimum wage is not livable if compared to living wages, and it is comforting and troubling to see that countries also have this issue.
Distinguishing the difference between living wage and minimum wage is very enlightening as I do not often consider the difference. As Kayla mentioned, I also tend to forget that just because the U.S. monthly minimum is higher than Bangladesh, it doesn’t necessarily mean I am better or worse off. I also agree with the first comment, that comparative advantage has allowed us to pick and choose which countries to source from based on their benefits, such as pricing, quality labor, compliance, and speed to market. As the US specializes in textile production, they outsource from countries that are better off producing apparel. If we are sourcing from countries that can produce apparel more efficiently than us, why are we not paying them enough (collectively) to make up for their living wages?
This article inspired me to think of the following. First, globalization has brought a large number of workers from low-development countries into the labor market, which has led to a significant reduction in jobs and lower wages in high- and middle-income countries; second, non-labor costs in the apparel industry have fallen dramatically, leading to a reduction in the added value of apparel labor; third, supply is far greater than demand in the apparel industry, leading to excessive costs being spent on inventory, marketing channels, and other areas, with corresponding labor costs being cut.
I found this article very intriguing. It is interesting to me that although the wage in the United States is very high compared to other country, that doesn’t necessarily mean there is a higher standard of living in the U.S. In Indonesia, the amount of money workers make goes a much longer way than in the United States. It will be interesting to see if the rates have changed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It also surprised me that the minimum wage monthly was not the highest in the United States, and instead was the highest in Belgium.
This article suprised me a lot because I always thought the situation was bad but not this bad. It is crazy to me that people in Ethiopia have such a low minimum wage. These people that work in the garment industry make little to no money and then to realize in the second graph that they can barely live off the money they make is horrible. This defintely made me think about what I can do to make a difference.
I find it very interesting that “minimum wage” and “living wage” are two different terms. I find it troublingly ironic that they are not one in the same. It is no secret that wages within the garment industry as shockingly low, and hopefully as worker compensation laws get more traction globally, this issue can begin to be resolved. For the work these people, (mostly women and children), are doing, and the hours they are clocking in, their pay should be far higher than it is. It was very interesting to read that from 2017 to 2019, minimum wage was not even noticeably higher. This should not be true since the cost of living has been, and will be steadily rising annually. The US needs to start taking responsibility for the places in which we source our materials. We cannot turn a blind eye any longer for the sake of a cheaper deal, at the expense of human beings. As we continue to have apparel/trade relations with countries such as Vietnam that barely pay their workers, we are essentially enourcing the exploitation and abuse.
It is quite interesting how minimum wage levels for garment workers vary from country to country. It is also shocking to come to the realization how low minimum wage really may be. On the low end of this spectrum, the minimum wage for Ethiopia may be as low as 26 Dollars. The minimum wage is generally in align with what is called a living wage which is the amount that would be spent on the essentials in everyday life and based on this number the minimum wage will be affected. Another major concern of mine is that throughout the pandemic how have those making minimum wage been able to survive as many jobs within the garment industry have been let go or stopped for the time being until there is more certainty as to what is to be expected in terms of the Corona Virus pandemic.
I found this article to be very interesting! It is a harsh reality to stomach when it comes to understanding that many garment industry workers do not make enough money to be above the living wage. It comes as a shock to me that a country like the US and Portugal are both not paying their workers enough money to be able to live. Other countries such as Honduras and Indonesia came as a shock to me as well when it comes to paying their workers enough to be able to afford a living. Something interesting to keep in mind as well is that many of these workers may also have families that they need to care for and therefore require a higher income. I think that an important aspect of social responsibility that needs to have a greater focus upon is that garment workers are often very underpaid for their work.
Good thought! We will explore the relationship between trade and wage & jobs later in the course. Several things are of heated debate: 1) how has trade affected jobs & wage levels in a country overall? 2) whether trade creates winners and losers? If so, who are they (for example, export-oriented sectors vs. import-competing sectors)? 3) what role the government should/can play in regulating jobs & wage levels related to international trade? For example, why or why not is it a good idea to set a minimum wage for imported products. Meanwhile, you may find this article relevant and insightful: https://www.cfr.org/blog/what-trade-and-minimum-wage-debates-have-common
I found this article really interesting especially the comparison between the minimum wage and the living wage by country. I know that the U.S. has always had a lower minimum wage than a lot of other highly developed countries but it really puts it in perspective when compared to the U.S. living wage. It’s intriguing to see in the graph “Minimum Wage of Garment Workers as a Percentage of Local Living Wage” how less developed countries like Pakistan, India, and Vietnam have a higher percentage than us and China included. It really goes to show the benefits of globalization in other countries and outsourcing production to these less developed countries because it allows the garment workers in the country to be able to have enough money to live relatively comfortably.
In one of my first ever fashion courses taken at University of Delaware, we looked into product development and most of the factors that contributed to creating a garment. We briefly discussed sourcing, and some of the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing to other countries. One of the greatest advantages noted was the cheap cost of labor overseas. The production of apparel in the US is limited and due to larger restrictions and more regulations, garment workers in the US ultimately demand more pay in this aspect. This drove fashion brands to move production elsewhere to cut the costs that come with manufacturing. In a later course discussing sustainability and social responsibility of fashion companies, we dove deeper into the poor and unethical treatment of many garment workers. This took a more involved look into garment worker wages and worked through the issues that we still see in the production industry related to wages. Many countries and factories can argue that they pay their workers “minimum wage”, but minimum wage is vastly different from a “living wage”. After reading this article, I was shocked to learn about the discrepancies between the minimum wage paid to many workers and the average living wage in that country of production. It was my inaccurate assumption that these workers in the US, the few, would most likely be in a better condition than those in less developed countries, however I could not be more wrong. These are the misconceptions that need to be brought to light and discussed more!
I find it very interesting to look into the wages of workers in countries that are major apparel exporters. While it is common to think that apparel manufactured in less developed countries automatically means extremely poor pay, it may look that way initially. As Americans, we’re used to a certain way of living that requires a decently high living wage, so when we see salary rates of $181/month, we can’t imagine how one could live even a week with that kind of earning. It is also important to note the kind of requirements it takes to become a garment worker in these countries. In the US where high-paying jobs typically require a certain level of education, a garment worker won’t get paid much due to the lack of required education. The only thing beneficial about being a garment worker in the US is that the working conditions are most likely more ethical than that of other less developed countries. In a less developed country such as Indonesia, there most likely aren’t as many occupations above being a garment worker, therefore their salary is commonly in line with their projected living wage. I did find it interesting to see where certain countries stood on the graph that showed the percentage of garment worker’s salaries pertaining to the living wage. The United Kingdom is seemingly a highly developed country, so it is interesting to see those garment manufacturers make a decent percentage of their living wage. Although it has to be taken into consideration all of the domestic high-end brands like Burberry and Chanel who employ top-notch seamstresses and tailors. All in all, this has intrigued me to take a closer look at comparative wages within the apparel industry and what impacts them.
I found this article to be insightful and inspiring to view social issues on a different level. One of the first topics we discussed in fash455 was globalization, from this article we see that globalization has brought in an immense amount of workers from under developed countries into the labor market. Because of this, there has been a great shift in the reduction in jobs & lower wages in high- and middle-income countries. Another aspect of this article I found to be intriguing was the relation of wage in the United States being high compared to other countries yet that does not support nor signify that there is a higher “standard of living” within the U.S.
I think this article provides information that everyone should know. It is a very serious problem that the minimum wage that they receive is not enough for them to pay for their living because according to the article, the minimum wage is the amount an individual has to earn to pay for fundamental essentials for their living. Although the problem about the minimum wage in developing countries is at least recognized, the wage for the garment worker in developed countries such as in the US is hard to be recognized. However, it is a very serious issue that minimum wage in the US, which is expensive compared to the most is not enough for workers to live in the country.
When I hear about wages for garment workers, my mind always goes right to low wages in developing countries. We always hear about how certain countries do not pay their workers enough, however this is the first time I ever saw a chart of all countries’ minimum wages of workers in the industry. I was super surprised to see the contrast of high minimum wages vs. living wage. Like Dr. Lu and Ms. Davis mention, the United States may comparatively have a higher minimum wage, but it is super low for the % of the living wage. But in a developing country, like Indonesia, these workers can thrive off what they are making. I appreciate how much this blog opened my eyes that those living in high-cost countries really need higher minimum wages.
In my opinion, this was one of the most interesting takes I have seen while in this course. It is so difficult to measure how much money is beneficial, when it works for people differently depending on where you live. Dr. Lu’s example of showing that while the US has one of the highest monthly wages for its laborers, that it is not nearly enough to support them with their necessities needed. While in developing countries who may only make eighty dollars a month, that could provide them with much more than they even need. This truly makes it hard to figure out what to do with this wage crisis. To me, it is unacceptable at this rate that the US or even other developed countries do not have a much higher wage for their workers. They can afford to do it, and with the way the workers are treated, from little pay to bad working conditions with tireless hours, I think its the least they deserve.
This article opens my eyes Western brand exploiting workers overseas. The blog post stated how everyone is competing for the “lowest price.” This has a huge negative impact on workers in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Haiti, etc. With brands around the world looking for the lowest price, it is not uncommon for two competitors to source from the same factory. This puts extreme pressure of workers in these factories to meet quotas. Not to mention, because these workers are working for so cheap, more often than not they are working extreme hours in poor conditions. Buildings are never inspected and can end up leading to tragedies like in the Rana Plaza factory. These workers are literally putting their lives at risk everyday for not nearly as much as other countries like the US and UK which is inhumane.
I found this article very insightful because before I had not heard the difference of minimum wage and a living wage. It made me realize how important it is when looking at countries you want to source from. When looking where you are sourcing from, you can not just look at how much a person is getting paid, you have to look at it in relation to how much the living cost is from that country also. For example, when looking at Egypt, they have one of the lowest minimum wages but compares to their local living wage it is one of the highest on the chart. I think if people aren’t informed of this difference and overlook how they correlate it could be dangerous for companies looking where to source.
The US is a leader when it comes to garment worker’s minimum wage. However, a high minimum wage is not necessarily associated with a high standard of living. The average US garment worker makes $1,160 per month. In comparison, Indonesian garment workers make $181 per month but their standard of living sat significantly lower. I found this article intriguing because I was unaware there was a substantial difference between a minimum and living wage. The US is considered to be a developed nation and its people have access to opportunities. Factory conditions are much higher compared to that of third world nations on the opposite hand. In Indonesia, garment workers put their lives at risk and subject themselves to danger to support their families, similar to garment workers in Bangladesh. The minimum wage in Bangladesh is $63. 66% of this is their living wage, just 4% under the US. Though the US garment workers earn significantly more, their living wage should be higher. This could be remedied through a pay raise, or in advancing automation within factories. Historically, Bangladesh ignores its workers to better its nations financial growth. Comparing the two country’s living wages feels like a foreign concept, as the opportunities available are starkly different.
I found the articles very interesting because every year we learn about how US companies are taking advantage of underdeveloped countries or 3rd world countries, but nothing really changes. The Biden Administration, for example, announced to be pushing for the “made in America” slogan to come back, which is interesting because if companies cannot give in to losing a little bit of their profits to ensuring their workers have livable wages, how are they supposed to be able to do that here, in a first world country.
Looking at the article, I was suprised to know that the monthly minimum wage doesn’t actually reflect the same the living wage. Country like the US is among the highest monthly minimum wage for garment workers, but they seem barely to afford to live a good quality life to compare to a country like Indonesia. I think this is caused by the living standard in each country. The US garment workers might get paid more than other countries’ garment workers. But in the US, they are underpaid when comparing to other industries workers. The fashion industry always prefer to source their products from cheap labor cost like Vietnam, China, Bangladesh, and India, etc. So, it’s quite hard to force them to make the changes like paying more for workers, especially fast fashion brands.
I was very intrigued by this post and your findings! When we think of garment workers, we think of how US companies are severely underpaying garment workers in under-developed countries. Based on this article, we can see that this is a huge issue for many countries and companies. However, it should also be noted that United States garment workers are not being paid fairly either. Most garment workers in the US receive minimum wage which is not a large enough salary to live comfortably in most parts of the country. This includes some of the biggest cities like New York and Los Angeles, where many garment workers need to live in these expensive cities but are not being paid adequately. As we have seen, there has been a gradual decline of garment workers in the US over the past few years. This is due to low wages and high expectations, which I think is still a huge issue in the industry in 2022.