PRODUCTIVITY, MACHINERY AND SKILLS: CLOTHING MANUFACTURE IN BRITAIN AND GERMANY

This study compares samples of matched plants in Britain and Germany engaged in the manufacture of women's outerwear; it follows earlier matched plant studies, also published in the National Institute Economic Review, which examined matched plants in metalworking and furniture manufacture in th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:National Institute economic review 1989-05, Vol.128 (128), p.40-57
Main Authors: STEEDMAN, HILARY, WAGNER, KARIN
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clothing industry
Comparative analysis
Effects
Employees
Great Britain
Imports
Improvements
Industrial equipment
Industrial plants
Industrial productivity
Industrial training
Industry
International aspects
Labor productivity
Machinery
Machinery in industry
Machinery operators
Machines
Manufacturing industries
Outerwear
Productivity
Skilled labor
Statistics
Training
West Germany
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Summary:This study compares samples of matched plants in Britain and Germany engaged in the manufacture of women's outerwear; it follows earlier matched plant studies, also published in the National Institute Economic Review, which examined matched plants in metalworking and furniture manufacture in these two countries. German clothing manufacturers specialise in high-fashion items produced in great variety of which a high proportion is exported at high unit prices; the typical British manufacturer concentrates on more standardised items produced in long runs and is consequently more vulnerable to competition from lower-cost producers in developing countries. The study examines the contribution of machinery, new technology and skills to differences in clothing productivity in the two countries. A final section discusses future trends in the industry in the light of the 1992 proposals for a Single European Market.
ISSN:0027-9501
1741-3036
DOI:10.1177/002795018912800104