jobfacts

Textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c.

SOC 2020 5419

Job holders in this unit group perform a variety of textiles and related craft occupations not elsewhere classified in minor group 541: Textiles, garments and related trades.

Also calledPlannerLace makerKnitterForemanTwist handMat makerand 263 more titles
Typical full-time pay£26,6002025 Provisional
People in the job12,000across the UK
New adverts a month128↓ 4%on last year · 378th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c. earn, 2025
£26,600 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£26,600
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £26,600
Scotland!£29,400
North West!£26,300
East of England!£19,800
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £26,600
Scotland£29,400 (small sample)
North West£26,300 (small sample)
East of England£19,800 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £23,100
  • 2024 £27,000
  • 2025 Provisional£26,600
↑ 15% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 128 jobs for textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c. are advertised each month.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026107
Jul 2026124
Jun 2026138
May 2026160
Apr 2026146
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026138
Jan 2026143
Dec 202546
Nov 2025118
Oct 2025137
Sept 2025147
Aug 2025144
Jul 2025133
Jun 2025141
May 2025143
Apr 2025126
Mar 2025135
Feb 2025139
Jan 2025135
Dec 202485
Nov 2024119
Oct 2024160
Sept 2024138
Aug 2024161
Jul 2024157
Jun 2024158
May 2024170
Apr 2024187
Mar 2024166
Feb 2024147
Jan 2024170
Dec 2023143
Nov 2023135
Oct 2023134
Sept 2023115
Aug 2023153
Jul 2023154
Jun 2023204
May 2023207
Apr 2023160
Mar 2023188
Feb 2023184
Jan 2023221
Dec 2022161
Nov 2022192
Oct 2022222
Sept 2022250
Aug 2022241
Jul 2022240
Jun 2022248
May 2022254
Apr 2022231
Mar 2022263
Feb 2022241
Jan 2022320
Dec 2021181
Nov 2021215
Oct 2021256
Sept 2021221
Aug 2021190
Jul 2021210
Jun 2021199
May 2021168
Apr 2021136
Mar 2021220
Feb 2021106
Jan 2021110
Dec 2020110
Nov 2020157
Oct 2020131
Sept 2020145
Aug 202095
Jul 2020111
Jun 202091
May 202094
Apr 202084
Mar 2020149
Feb 2020218
Jan 2020170
Dec 2019109
Nov 2019137
Oct 2019168
Sept 2019156
Aug 2019137
Jul 2019151
Jun 2019160
May 2019177
Apr 2019126
Mar 2019174
Feb 2019149
Jan 2019188
Dec 201889
Nov 2018156
Oct 2018172
Sept 2018153
Aug 2018110
Jul 2018142
Jun 2018175
May 2018146
Apr 2018147
Mar 2018164
Feb 2018194
Jan 2018158
Dec 2017129
Nov 2017148
Oct 2017162
Sept 2017133
Aug 2017149
Jul 2017148
Jun 2017193
May 2017208
Apr 2017170
Mar 2017176
Feb 2017158
Jan 2017158
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
50%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for textiles, printing and other skilled trades, which includes textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c.. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London89
City of Edinburgh22
Leeds10
Manchester8
Birmingham8
Bristol, City of6
Kirklees6
North Northamptonshire5
North Yorkshire5
West Lothian4
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c. are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c.
n/p
30%!
n/p
15%!
42%!
13%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3430% (small sample)
35–44Not published
45–5415% (small sample)
55–6442% (small sample)
65+13% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!26%
Higher education below degree!17%
A levels or equivalent!35%
GCSEs or equivalent!23%
Other qualifications!14%
No qualifications!6.1%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent26% (small sample)
Higher education below degree17% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent35% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent23% (small sample)
Other qualifications14% (small sample)
No qualifications6.1% (small sample)

Main employers: weaving of textiles (16%), manufacture of made-up textile articles, except apparel (5.5%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
26%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 35%
Apprenticeships
1
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
2 years
typically

Apprenticeships

1 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • marks out, cuts and sews corsets, light clothing and hoods and aprons and makes and repairs sails, boat covers and other canvas goods
  • fills and stuffs cushions, quilts, soft toys and furniture
  • examines sketches and draws out patterns for the manufacture of garments and upholstery
  • sets up and operates power and hand looms and machines to weave fibre into fabrics and carpets
  • knits garments and other articles form yarn by machine or by hand
  • shapes and steams fabric into hats or hoods and gives final shape to fibre helmets and felt hats
  • performs other tasks not elsewhere classified, for example, forms mounts for wigs, makes buttons, shapes hat brims, and staples seams of industrial gloves

Skills

  • sew pieces of fabric
  • decorate textile articles
  • distinguish accessories
  • distinguish fabrics
  • embroider fabrics
  • manufacture wearing apparel products
  • operate garment manufacturing machines
  • sew textile-based articles
  • alter wearing apparel
  • apply a protective layer
  • assemble fabrics of large dimensions for outdoors
  • assemble toys
  • bundle fabrics
  • construct moulds

Knowledge

  • apparel manufacturing technology
  • manufacturing of made-up textile articles
  • manufacturing of wearing apparel
  • buttonholing
  • properties of fabrics
  • toys and games industry
  • toys and games safety recommendations
  • toys and games trends

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for textiles, printing and other skilled trades, a group of 17 jobs that includes textiles, garments and related trades n.e.c..
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035→ 0%about 0 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035276,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.