6 February 2024
In December 2023, 298 garment factories were shut down across the country, the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association reported, making up 36 percent of all garment factories in the country.
In the past year, 52 garment factories in Myanmar have been shut down, which is why the number of garment factories shut down in December 2023 has risen to 36 percent.
In Myanmar, as of December 2022, the number of garment factories that were shut down was only 31 percent of all garment factories, and currently, the number of garment factories that were shut down has increased.
Japan-based Nikkei Asia news agency also reported that Myanmar garment industries are facing difficulties due to rising costs and difficulties in finding workers. Garment workers are also moving abroad or moving to other factories to get better wages.
In October of last year, the Myanmar government increased the income of garment workers to 5,800 Myanmar kyats per day, but the current rice price has tripled compared to 2018, and the increase in wages has not brought great benefits to the workers.
“The main reason garment factory workers quit is to work abroad. The number of workers leaving garment factories to work abroad has increased from 60 percent to 70 percent,” said an official from a Japanese garment factory based in Myanmar.
