A growing number of economic experts in the United States say that many of the same forces that caused U.S. companies to move manufacturing offshore may now be helping to bring manufacturing jobs back. A growing number of Chinese companies have recently been investing in the United States in an effort to escape high business

The readymade garment industry has played an important role in accelerating the overall economic growth of Bangladesh, according to a new study published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Labor Organization (ILO). The report says that the garment industry has resulted in significant economic growth over the past decade and that it

Unions and other labor groups in Cambodia say they plan to push for a new monthly minimum wage of US$180 in the upcoming tripartite negotiation process. Labor leaders say they decided on the number after analyzing the cost of living for workers in the country and government economic data. Negotiations between workers’ groups, industry representatives,

Global athletic company PUMA has partnered with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to launch a new financing program aimed at incentivizing supplier improvements in social, environmental, and safety standards. The program works by offering low-cost financing to facilities that score high in PUMA’s supplier rating system that measures adherence to the company’s social and environmental

An estimated 150 million public-sector workers across India participated in what is being called one of the largest strikes in history. The strike was called by 10 trade unions around the country to demonstrate against economic policies they view as unfavorable, including a proposed increase in the minimum wage for unskilled workers that was deemed

Kenya has joined Rwanda in signing the pending Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) trade deal with the European Union. The EPA is intended to extend preferential trade access for developing African nations and while Kenya has been enthusiastic about the deal, other members of the East African Community, including Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan, have

The case of the deadly 2012 Ali Enterprises fire has been accepted into Pakistan’s anti-terrorism court. This comes following a supplementary charge sheet alleging that the blaze was intentionally set by members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) because the owners of the Ali Enterprises facility had not paid them a certain sum of money.

Textile and garment exports from Sri Lanka grew by 4.5% year-on-year between January and June, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Much of this growth was in the United States and non-traditional markets like Canada, China, and the UAE, according to the bank. Textiles and apparel accounted for nearly half of all Sri

Seattle-based robotics company Sewbo says that one of its robots has sewn together a complete t-shirt for the first time in history. The company says its process involves temporarily stiffening the fabric to make it easier for the robots to handle during assembly, a challenge faced by many other players working on similar solutions. The

A Bangladeshi court has postponed the trial of 18 people charged in connection with the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse. The trial was slated to begin on August 23 but the deferral was granted after the defendants appealed for a delay on the grounds that they had filed a petition challenging the charges. The trial is