Degree of Concern and Awareness of Spanish Consumers About Working Conditions in the Clothing Industry

Abstract

The clothing industry has experienced global and sustained growth in the last decades due, among other factors, to the decentralisation of production in this sector and its consequent lowering of prices, but also to the effect of the unceasing demand that fashion generates. Simultaneously, the number of people employed in the textile sector has been growing in economically developing countries under precarious labour conditions. The objective of this study is to analyse the level of knowledge and awareness of the Spanish population about the working conditions in clothing manufacturing at production sites. To achieve this, we applied statistical analysis to data collected from a sample (n = 3000) of Spanish fashion consumers. The main results show a society with a high degree of concern for labour conditions in the textile sector, as well as for the environmental repercussions triggered by this type of production. Considering the differences based on socio-demographic variables, we find that women, older consumers, and respondents with higher education show a greater degree of concern about the working conditions in the clothing industry. Along the same lines, respondents who are ideologically left wing present a higher degree of concern than respondents from the extreme right.