The apparel industry provided about 763,000 wage and salary jobs in 1998. As shown in table 1, employment is concentrated in three segments of the industry. Together, these segments employ 4 out of every 5 workers in the industry. The industry had about 24,000 establishments in 1998, with employment concentrated in large firms. Although a variety of workers are needed to produce apparel and other textile products, operators, fabricators, and laborers account for about 70 percent of total employment in the industry.
Fashion designers are the artists of the apparel industry.
They create ideas for a range of products including coats, dresses, hats, handbags, and underwear. Most fashion designers work for apparel manufacturers or retailers, adapting fashion trends for specific markets. Before sewing can begin, pattern pieces must be made, layouts determined, and fabric cut. Grading once was a time-consuming job, but now it is quickly completed with the aid of a computer. Markers determine the best arrangement of pattern pieces to minimize wasted fabric.