More than two decades of employment losses have generated an image of industry decline that masks many successes in the state's textile industry. M alden Mills has received national publicity for its innovative Polartec fabric, but theirs is not the only success story in the state. The company now sells its upholstery fabrics in 45 countries. Quaker Fabric has grown from 1,700 to 2,400 employees over the last seven years. 5 Economic impacts measure the importance of an industry primarily in terms of the employment and payroll generated by the industry's establishments.
Total impacts are the sum of the direct, indirect, and induced impacts.
Direct impacts are the employment and payroll attributable to the economic activities occurring at textile and apparel establishments such as dyeing and finishing, fabric weaving, or embroidery. Indirect impacts result mainly from off-site economic activities that are directly attributable to the industry. These economic activities occur as the result of non-payroll local expenditures by industry establishments, including a range of operating expenses such as the purchase of manufacturing inputs, business services, freight shipment, equipment repair, office supplies and furniture, utilities, landscaping, etc. Induced impacts are the multiplier effects of the direct and indirect impacts created by successive rounds of spending. Most of the take-home income earned by textile and apparel employees is spent locally and becomes income to local individuals who provide services to those employees.