ABSTRACT
The transformation of markets and other broad changes in the economy since the mid-1970s have had a profound effect on the textile industry in the United States. After several decades of relatively stable technology in the textile industry, producers encountered newer, faster versions of textile machinery on the market: air-jet looms, for example, that could weave at four times the pace of the traditional shuttle looms. Many textile managers assert that the textile industry in the United States has become more "market driven," but it is clear that more than one pattern of production and mix of technology could respond to the new environment. Modernization and the introduction of quick response have had an immediate effect on the nature of work in the textile industry. New equipment often reduced the number of workers needed for particular stages of production, and remaining workers were found to need a different mix of skills.
