Cambodia employs 320,734 workers in 269 garment factories

PHNOM PENH, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Despite global economic crisis, Cambodia's garment sector still remains strong in terms of providing jobs to Cambodian people, a government data showed Tuesday.

The data provided by the Ministry of Commerce showed that there are currently 320,734 workers, among them 293,664 women, are working in 269 factories across the country.

It showed that the total garment exports to foreign countries in 2009 amounted 2,385 million U.S. dollars, of which 1,486 million U.S dollars to the United States, 577 million U.S. dollars to European markets, 184 million U.S. dollars to Canada and 136 million U.S. dollars to other countries.

The data also showed that Cambodia's general exports to foreign countries in 2009 were 3,907 million U.S. dollars, and the imports were 5,448 million U.S. dollars.

Late last month, a report of the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia, showed that the number of strikes staged by garment workers in Cambodia declined nearly half compared to a year earlier,

The report said there were 58 strikes occurred in 2009 as compared with 105 strikes in 2008, or represented only a decline of 44 percent in the number of strikes.

However, it said, there were 53,097 garment workers who had lost their jobs because of the closure of 122 factories in 2009.

Even though 67 factories were re-opened, and they provided jobs to 19,772 workers, the report showed.

๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑๑۩۞۩๑

Sphere: Related Content