For 30 years, the word "sweatshop" has conjured up a very specific image: low-wage Asian workers making branded clothes in crowded, unsafe factories for consumers overseas. But one thing is certain: The heyday of the Asian sweatshop is coming to an end. Under the best conditions, textile and footwear jobs are monotonous and uncomfortable (as they've been since the Victorian era). The estimated time to break even on such technology -- 18 months -- pretty much ensures that the days of low-wage workers hand-cutting fabric are dwindling. Even worse, for Asia's workers at least, is that Western companies can bring those same customizable technologies back home, and eliminate their overseas factories altogether.

Source: Thanhnien News September 06, 2016 04:30 UTC