Socks and T-shirts

Throughout El Salvador, you will come across large industrial parks and free trade zones where  thousands of workers are employed in more than 200 textile factories.   Here are a few facts about the sector:

According to the industry trade association CAMTEX, the entire textile sector exported $2.5 billion in 2018 and represented 46% of El Salvador's total exports.  The industry produced 84,448 direct jobs, with an average wage of $524 per month.   The minimum wage in the sector is $295.20 per month or $1.23 per hour. 

The leading exports from El Salvador's textile maquila factories are cotton t-shirts and nylon socks.
Hanes and Fruit of the Loom are the leading brands, together representing approximately 20,000 jobs in El Salvador. 

There are frequent reports of abusive working conditions in the maquila factories, especially with regards to the treatment of women.