The number of jobs in the U.S. clothing industry has gone down because most of the clothes sold here are made in other countries. In order to compete, U.S. clothing makers, especially in California, have cut costs to keep up with the demand for cheaper clothes. U.S. manufacturers have lowered costs by using assembly plants in other countries. This lowers employer wage costs but reduces employment in this country. As a result, job growth for Sewing Machine Operators will be limited.
Operators use commercial machines that are heavier and run faster than machines used in the home.
Sewing Machine Operators are generally classified by the type of sewing machine they use, such as single needle, multineedle, double needle, overlock, or blind stitch, and by the type of work they do, such as collar stitcher, sleeve finisher, or pocket setter. Most operators run a regular machine that sews pieces of cloth together in a seam. Operators usually start on single needle machines that have one needle and make a stitch like those made by home machines. Operators position pieces of cloth together and hold them so that when the needle connects the pieces the stitch made is straight and smooth. They also can start and stop the machine smoothly when running it at high speeds.