Apparel manufacturing jobs are in a steep decline

[Judi Lynn]

July 23, 2006, 12:36AM
MEXICO
An unraveling industry
Apparel manufacturing jobs are in a steep decline

By ELIZA BARCLAY
Houston Chronicle Foreign Service

AGUASCALIENTES - She works long hours on her feet in a noisy, windowless factory and makes only $6.80 a day — 45 cents more than most workers there because she embellishes denim jeans with dainty flowers. But Yesenia Garcia, 27, is glad to have a job.

"Sometimes you have work and sometimes you don't. But I like working on design," Garcia said.

Tens of thousands of workers like Garcia in this northern city once affixed "Made in Mexico" tags to millions of pairs of blue jeans bound for retail clothing stores in the shopping malls in the United States.

During the 1990s, this city pegged its future to apparel and textile plants that depended on the export market opened by the North American Free Trade Agreement.

But since 1999 it has seen more than 53 of these maquiladoras shuttered, said Marcela Hernandez, a sociologist who has studied the maquiladora sector in Aguascalientes several for years.
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4064765.html

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July 23, 2006, 12:32AM
(Mexico) High-tech jobs: Vision unfulfilled

By ELIZA BARCLAY
Houston Chronicle Foreign Service

During the first half of 2006, more than 546,000 jobs were added in Mexico — the best showing during President Vicente Fox's six-year term.

A closer look at the statistic reveals this growth is failing to provide many workers with jobs offering security and the potential for economic advancement.

The strongest job growth was in construction and tourism, where many of the positions are seasonal, according to the Mexican Center for Analysis and Economic Projections, known as CAPEM.

"The majority of the new jobs being created are temporary with short-term contracts," said Cesar Castro Quiroz, the director of economic analysis for CAPEM. "The new jobs are generally poor in quality," he added.
(snip/...)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4064766.html

[babylonsister]

1. I can't recall ever seeing a tag saying "Made in MX". Now,

India, Indonesia, etc., yeah.

[Cooley Hurd]

4. A lot of Fender guitars are made in Mexico (granted, they're not apparel)

I used to own a Fender Mexicaster. ;)

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. So are a lot of t-shirts

In the 90's Hanes, FOL and a few other big ones all went south.

[Tempest]

7. They're made in Mexico

But thanks to NAFTA, the labels say Made In The U.S.A.

[CPMaz]

2. Change a few proper nouns and numbers here and there...

and these stories are about the plight of the U.S. worker, too.

Scary.

[w4rma]

3. Mexico can't compete with slave labor. (nt)

[TomClash]

5. China! More sweat, less money! nt