Job market information
Finding out about apparel manufacturing and wholesale clothing
The apparel industry is part of the fashion and textiles sector, represented by Creative Skillset, which also includes: apparel; textiles; and footwear and leather; advertising; animation; computer games; facilities; film; interactive media; photo imaging; publishing; radio; and television. The fashion and textiles sector as a whole employs an estimated 340,000 people across 79,000 enterprises, which are predominately small and medium sized employers. The sector contributes around £10 billion to the UK economy each year, but due to the current economic downturn, product exports have fallen. However, employment in the sector has remained relatively stable level.
The apparel industry includes the manufacture of: knitwear; hosiery; apparel or clothing such as workwear, underwear and outerwear; plus the wholesale of clothing. Recent manufacturing output of the industry has declined, but productivity has risen where it has remained virtually static across the wider manufacturing sector. Clothing and footwear prices have fallen. Suppliers of niche and luxury brands, such as cashmere and premium fashion garments, are reportedly doing well.
Key facts:
- The industry contributes almost £4.8bn to the UK economy each year.
- Around 156,000 people are employed in the industry with around 20,000 of these using design skills as part of their work.
- There are around 35,000 businesses, of which around 23,000 are sole traders.
- There are around 2,000 design consultancies in the industry, employing around 4,000 people.
- The businesses in this industry tend to be small or medium-sized, employing 250 people or fewer.
Jobs in the industry range from:
- Operative level staff – sewing machinist, garment cutter, garment presser, knitting operative, knitwear linker
- Craftspeople and designer-makers – handcraft tailor, milliner, couturier
- Higher level, technical personnel – designer, garment technologist, sample technician, pattern cutter, pattern grader
- Production managers – production manager, technical managers, production co-ordinator, manufacture co-ordinator
Entry and progression
There are not usually any formal entry requirements for lower-level jobs in the apparel industry. Employers look for candidates who are good with their hands, reliable and willing to learn. Many jobs will provide training in the workplace, sometimes alongside formal vocational qualifications.
The fashion and textiles sector has a track record of recruiting adults who are looking for career change. Many skills needed in the industry are transferable. Those who have previously worked in a wholesale environment or management position may be able to transfer more easily. Those in professional and management positions can move into similar posts in other areas or sectors.
Progression is usually possible with the appropriate levels of experience or by obtaining relevant qualifications. A typical apparel progression route could be from:
Sewing Machinist -> Sample Machinist -> Garment Technologist -> Technical Manager
There are a range of industry endorsed courses (both at undergraduate and post-graduate) and foundation degrees, apprenticeships and training schemes.
For job specific entry requirements, take a look at our job profiles.
Workforce statistics
| Number of UK employees: |
around 156,000 |
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| Number of UK employers: |
35,000 of which 23,000 are sole trading businesses without any employees |
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| Gender: |
42% male, 58% female |
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The fashion and textile sector as a whole has an ageing workforce, with 32% of those employed aged 50 years or over, compared with 26% in the wider economy.
The fashion and textiles sector as a whole is a major source of employment for people from ethnic minority groups. |
Employment trends and future prospects
Recent forecasts indicate a decline in the number of people employed in apparel manufacturing of 30% to 2014. This will be mainly due to the transfer of production overseas. However, it is estimated that there will be a need to recruit 16,000 people over the same period to replace those leaving the industry, mainly because of retirements.
Future employment will be available mainly in higher level jobs, such as management and technical roles. The wholesale area is also expected to see a slight growth in employment.
Skill requirements and shortages
A decline in the number of people employed in production activities is expected, as more manufacturing moves overseas. Subject-specific technical skills are the most sought after, which include:
- knowledge of garment technology, construction and sampling skills
- pattern making, cutting and grading skills
- sewing machine skills
- knowledge of fabric types and properties
- knowledge of production and finishing methods
The number of vacancies in the manufacturing side of the industry has declined since 2008. The occupation dominating these vacancies was Sewing Machinist. The most advertised job category was ‘design,’ which accounted for more than one-third of advertised opportunities.
Occupational trends
Within the industry, there is a shortage of Designers and Garment Technologists with the appropriate practical skills. Those working as Sewing Machinists or Garment Cutters increasingly need to update their skills in-line with new technologies.
The majority of UK companies report difficulties in recruiting people with the right skills for jobs in Design, Production Management, Sewing, Pattern Cutting, Grading and Tailoring.
National and regional data
The clothing industry is widely distributed across England, but with key clusters:
- clothing manufacture in Leicester, Nottingham, London
- knitwear in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire
- wholesale of clothing in London, Manchester and Leeds
Across all regions it is estimated that there will be a substantial decline in the total level of employment in the industry to 2017.
East Midlands – There are around 17,000 people employed, making it the second most important region for apparel employment in England. Leicester has the largest industry workforce, followed by Erewash (Derbyshire) and Nottingham.
East of England – There are around 7,000 people employed within the industry in the region, who are mainly located in Luton, Fenland (Cambs), Basildon, Hertsmere and St Albans.
London – London is a key area for clothing manufacture and the wholesale of clothing in the apparel industry, with around 24,000 people employed, making it the largest region for apparel in the UK. Within this area, Westminster has the largest number of people employed in the apparel industry, followed by Tower Hamlets and Islington.
North East – There are around 4,000 people employed within the industry in the North East, which represents a small proportion of the total UK employment in this sector. Sunderland has the largest number of people employed, followed by County Durham. An estimated 1,000 recruits will be required in manufacturing positions to 2017 in the region.
North West – There are around 15,000 people employed within the industry, with the largest share located in Manchester. Stockport, Rochdale, East Cheshire and Blackburn are the other main centres in the region.
South East – There are around 5,000 people employed within the apparel industry in the region. Havant has the largest industry workforce in the region, with most of the remainder split fairly evenly between Milton Keynes, Chichester, Guildford and Southampton.
South West – There are around 6,000 people employed within the industry, who are mainly located in South Gloucestershire. Other key centres include Swindon, Cornwall, Bristol and Bath.
West Midlands – There are over 6,000 people employed within the industry. Birmingham has the largest number of people employed in the apparel industry followed by Sandwell.
Yorkshire and the Humber – There are over 10,000 people employed within the industry, making it one of the largest regions for apparel in the UK. Leeds has the largest number of people employed in the apparel industry then Kirklees and Bradford.
[N.B. Data derived from Annual Business Inquiry, 2007.]
Salary levels
Some suggested salary ranges for those working in the industry include:
- Entry Level Worker, such as a Sewing Machinist – £10,000 to £13,000
- Technical / craft Worker, such as a Pattern Grader – £14,000 to £18,000
- Experienced/Management Workers, such as a Production Manager – over £25,000
Career paths
Further sources
Produced Sept 2010, using Skillfast UK AACS LMI report (Jun 2010)
