"Automation sees Bangladesh garment sector workforce cut by third", 3 January 2025

A report suggests technological upgrades in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector have resulted in a 30.58% reduction in overall employment, predominantly affecting entry-level positions such as helpers.

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The research, entitled ‘Assessment of Technological Transition in the Apparel Sector of Bangladesh and Its Impact on Workers’ examined the technological advancements in Bangladesh’s apparel industry and its repercussions on the workforce.

The study was spearheaded by the Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF), executed by scholars from BRAC University

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The study underscores the critical need to focus on “Just Transition” strategies that ensure technological progress does not come at the expense of fair treatment and opportunities for those workers who are displaced by these changes.

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Among various subsectors within the industry, sweater manufacturing witnessed the steepest decline in labour at 37.03% per production line. Woven garment factories followed with a 27.23% workforce reduction.

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A closer look at individual production stages revealed that the cutting phase suffered the most substantial decrease in labour at 48.34%, while sewing operations saw a less severe drop of 26.57%.