Pie chart illustrating the distribution of 453,000 jobs across various industries, including yarn & fabrics, wool growing & related industry, home furnishings & carpet & non-apparel sewn products, apparel, cotton farming & related industry, and man-made fibers, with percentages for each sector.

Employment

The U.S. textile sector’s supply chain employs 453,122 workers. The 2025 figures include:

  • 82,000 jobs in NAICS 313 - Textile Mills (Yarns & Fabrics)

  • 93,400 jobs in NAICS 314 - Textile Product Mills (Home Furnishings, Carpet & Non-Apparel Sewn Products)

  • 79,000 jobs in NAICS 315 - Apparel Manufacturing

  • 22,621 jobs in NAICS 32522 - Artificial & Synthetic Fibers & Filaments Manufacturing (Man-Made Filaments & Fibers)

  • 87,248 jobs in Cotton Farming and Related Industry

  • 88,853 jobs in Wool Growing and Related Industry

KEY FACTS

The National Council of Textile Organizations is comprised of five councils to ensure a broad representation of the industry supply chain.

A donut chart showing the distribution of 453,000 jobs across different industries, with categories including Wool Growing & Related Industry, Cotton Farming & Related Industry, Home Furnishings, Carpet & Non-Apparel Sewn Products, Apparel, Yarn & Fabrics, and Man-Made Fibers, each represented by different colors.

The U.S. textile industry supply chain—from textile fibers to apparel and other sewn products—employed 453,122 workers in 2025. The U.S. government estimates that 1 textile manufacturing job in this country supports 3 other jobs.

Employment

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A stacked bar chart showing the distribution of a total of $60.9 billion across four categories: Man-made Fibers ($5.5 billion), Apparel ($9.3 billion), Textile Products ($21.7 billion), and Textile Mills ($24.3 billion).

Shipments

U.S. textile and apparel shipments totaled $60.9 billion in 2025.

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Bar chart showing global spending in various categories. Cotton, wool, and fine animal hair: $4.9 billion; Yarns: $3.7 billion; Fabrics: $7.8 billion; Home furnishings, carpet, and non-apparel sewn products: $3.7 billion; Apparel: $6.9 billion. Total: $27 billion.

The U.S. textile industry supplies more than 8,000 different textile products to the U.S. military.

U.S. Military

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Exports

The U.S. industry is the 2nd largest exporter of textile-related products in the world. Fiber, textile, and apparel exports combined were $26.9 billion in 2025.

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A robotic arm in a display case, with a computer monitor showing a similar robotic arm and the logo 'Stäubli' on the arm. The display is at an exhibition or technology showcase.
Bar chart showing growth in U.S. yarn, fabric, apparel, and sewn products manufacturing investments from 2017 to 2024, increasing from $3.3 billion in 2017 to $5.5 billion in 2024, totaling $34.3 billion since 2017.
Bar chart showing growth in U.S. yarn, fabric, apparel, and sewn products manufacturing investments from 2017 to 2024, increasing from $3.3 billion in 2017 to $5.5 billion in 2024, totaling $34.3 billion since 2017.

The United States is the world leader in textile research and development, with the U.S. textile complex developing next generation textile materials such as conductive fabric with anti-static properties, electronic textiles that can monitor heart rate and other vital signs, antimicrobial fibers, lifesaving body armor, and new fabrics that adapt to the climate to make the wearer warmer or cooler.

R&D

Capital Investments

The U.S. textile industry invested $34.3 billion in new plants and equipment from 2017 to 2024. Recently U.S. manufacturers have opened new facilities throughout the textile production chain, including recycling facilities to convert textile and other waste to new textile uses and resins.

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In 2022, hourly and nonsupervisory textile mill workers on average earned more than 2x as much as apparel store workers ($854 per week vs. $412) and received healthcare and retirement benefits. 

Wages