Myanmar's garment industry shows signs of a shakeout

Workers move to other plants or overseas in search of better pay

20240129N Myanmar workers

Factory workers in Myanmar. The garment industry is a major export driver. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)

Nikkei staff writers

BANGKOK/YANGON -- Myanmar's garment industry, a vital source of exports for the Southeast Asian nation, is starting to show signs of strain as costs rise and workers become harder to find.

The Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association says 298 member factories had stopped operating as of December 2023. This was up by 52 from a year earlier and accounted for 36% of total member factories, rising from the 31% share as of December 2022.

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