Footwear, apparel turn to high-value orders

Many local footwear and garment exporters have begun to go for orders for high-value items given a growing shortage of labour.

“Many enterprises are facing labour shortages, so they are choosing orders for products of high quality and value,” Diep Thanh Kiet, vice chair of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association (Lefaso), told the Saigon Times.

Kiet said Vietnamese exporters in the footwear and garment sectors, two of the country’s leading export earners, are receiving many contracts from new and old partners. Orders for footwear has risen 16 percent this year, and for garments 20 percent. However, the sectors have been struggling with lack of labour. The current labour force in the two sectors is 2.6 million in total, but it has fallen by around 300,000 workers a year as jobs in these sectors are no longer attractive. If productivity remains unchanged, labour demand must be increased by 15-18 percent, or 500,000 workers per annum.

Annual growth in exports of footwear and garments range from 15 percent to 18 percent. According to the general Statistical Office, in the first eight months of this year, footwear and garment exports reached USS3.22 billion and $6.89 billion respectively. – Saigon times

Tags: Vietnam Footwear, Vietnam Footwear Exports

Posted by VBN on Sep 10 2010. Filed under Garment Textile. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry