The US is among the world's biggest clothes merchants and consumers. Indeed, the country's interest in fashion is ever booming. Generally, the fashion industry in America consists of low-cost outlets offering inexpensive clothes and other accessories- these are targeted towards a wide range of customers, particularly teenagers. Experts give varying versions regarding the value of this industry. In 2008, some analysts put the figure at $50 billion. Undoubtedly, the USA is a global fashion leader; it wears more clothing than most other countries. The industry takes advantage of consumer spending; it provides jobs and benefits to millions worldwide.

By 2015 the US Fashion Industry was worth more than $244 billion. The industry had a revenue of $154 billion and an operating profit of $14.3 billion that year. It produces more than 35,000 different products each year. The United States National Clothing and Footwear Association estimate that the value of the US apparel industry in the United States was more than $531 billion in 2016. Today, the figure is more than $473 billion; some consider this to be the largest and most advanced industries in the world.

Undoubtedly, the industry has a considerable global value. Its market size is measured in billions of dollars. The industry's positive return on capital estimated ratio is 9%. Since it's large, it has given rise to many famous brands. This industry is known for what some describe as its 'shapeless fashion.' Regardless, it has grown over the years to embrace changing trends and preferences.

Analysts estimate that the US fashion industry generates more than $500 billion in economic impact each year. This includes $482 billion in consumer spending and an additional $63 billion in business, governmental appropriation and export trade. According to recent reports from a US market research company (Research and Markets), the US fashion industry may be worth over $1 trillion. Analysts expect the industry to continue producing considerable revenue in the coming years, even as concerns about artificial intelligence and machine learning grow. The industry's worth is often calculated in terms of sales and employment. The report also indicates the US fashion industry's worth may represent 2% of the global apparel market.

Generally, analysts agree that the US fashion industry is precious. As noted, it's worth over $550 billion; there's no doubt the US is the most popular destination for global fashion brands looking for skilled labour; there's a considerable infrastructure to manufacture such products. The industry provides more than 1,600 jobs for every $1 million of wages paid to its workers. Meanwhile, according to research from Brookings Institution, the employees generate $8 billion in taxes each year.

For decades, pundits have estimated the cumulative worth at about $100 billion; it has undoubtedly become a worldwide industry with lots of potential. The country's unique qualities and culture have enabled this business to flourish into a top product. In addition, some factors make the United States attractive to international fashion brands; one is the affordability of products sold by the brands.

According to a World Bank report, the US fashion industry is worth a whopping $930 billion. This makes it the third-largest industry in terms of revenue in the world. With a projected 5 per cent annual growth rate, this number could rise substantially over the next 20 years.

The industry includes everything from clothing and accessories to manufacturing shoes, clothes, furniture and toys. It includes how many people work there. Interestingly, the number of jobs in the US fashion sector has grown by 20% over the past ten years. In 2013, the US fashion industry generated $617 billion, or 20 per cent of the country's total economic activity. The sector contributes a lot to the economy; it helps create jobs for the nation.

Undeniably, the US fashion industry is worth billions of dollars. However, some ask: what are its future prospects? In the past, the sector became unsustainable because some fast fashion companies were producing low-quality clothes- this can't be rejuvenated easily- it takes time. Thus, some industry drivers have been pushing for a boycott of fast-fashion products. Further, many stores refuse to sign contracts with these companies since they do not want to disappoint customers who have followed them for years by buying their merchandise at bargain prices. So, which way the US fashion trade? 2023 could provide better insight.

Rocky Walia, a prominent businessman from Atlanta, GA, purchased the PREMIUM CANADIANS franchise from American Premiere League, which will hold its highly anticipated second edition cricket tournament from December 19 – December 31, 2022, at the ICC approved Broward County Cricket Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Mr. Walia's vast business portfolio includes owning a chain of convenience stores, gas stations and liquor stores across Georgia. Mr. Walia came to the United States at a very young age and through his hard work, dedication, and unwavering drive to succeed, has been able to build a successful business empire. "Cricket has been the source of my entertainment right from the start of my childhood. Just like billions of cricket fans across the Indian subcontinent, I live, eat, and breathe the fantastic sport of cricket. As a successful businessman, I am always looking for the next big opportunity and when this idea of American Premiere League was presented to me, I was drawn to it right away. The idea of naming the teams based off of the cricket loving communities living in the United States sounded like a brilliant concept to me and sparked a great deal of curiosity. I felt compelled to learn more, which lead me to watch highlights of the historic inaugural American Premiere League tournament of 2021 and was amazed what American Premiere League was able to achieve, which includes the 'never been done before' opening ceremony, to the high-level production, to the beautiful Corvette given to the MVP. My family and I are thrilled to be part of this exciting and unique business venture and will assure that we put together a very exciting and competitive team for American Premiere League Season Two this December in Florida."

Jay Mir, Founder and CEO of APL added, "The Cricket revolution in the United States is bringing more and more people on board and I welcome Mr. Walia on board for this historic journey with APL. Although American Premiere League Season One has been deemed as one of the best cricket tournaments in the United States, our vision and goal is to make the 2022 season even bigger and better than 2021. Part of this effort has been to move American Premiere League to a proper ICC approved cricket stadium and have an 18-camera production with a DRS review system. I am truly amazed and humbled by the tremendous response we have gotten from cricket loving fans from across North America and wish Mr. Walia the best in competing in APL."

The recent jobs report showed solid job growth, with 315,000 jobs added in August 2022, after an increase of 526,000 jobs in July. Labor shortages are still a major problem for employers while employees are benefiting from increased job opportunities and more bargaining power. Nonetheless, with broad-based gains in jobs, but also still very elevated inflation, the Fed will likely feel comfortable with another 75 basis points interest rate hike. With the Fed expected to further raise interest rates and economic activity already slowing, job growth is likely to decelerate over the next months.

The unemployment rate ticked up to 3.7 percent in August 2022, from 3.5 percent in July, as more people actively looked for work. This was represented by the labor force participation rate increasing to 62.4 percent in August, up from 62.1 percent in July.

Job gains were widespread with most industries adding jobs. Leisure and hospitality added another 31,000 jobs. More jobs were gained in professional and business services (68,000), health care and social assistance (61,500), retail trade (44,000), and manufacturing (22,000).

Wage growth remains elevated (5.2 percent higher compared to a year ago). Recruitment and retention difficulties are high with the number of job openings (11.2 million) and quits (4.2 million) still very elevated. The labor market is very tight and this continues to be a problem for employers as labor supply remains muted. While labor force participation for those aged 25 to 54 increased to 82.8 percent in August, it remains below its prepandemic rate of 83 percent from February 2020. For workers aged 55 and over, participation further declined in August and it remains even more subdued—38.6 percent in August 2022 compared to 40.3 percent prepandemic.

Economic activity is expected to further cool towards the end of the year with job growth likely to soon follow a similar downward trend. While job gains are currently still positive, The Conference Board projection for a short and mild recession before yearend may lead to the labor market shedding some jobs during 2023.

However, job losses could be muted since companies may try to hold on to their workers. Labor shortages may not go away, or otherwise reappear shortly after a recession. In addition, some businesses are still short-staffed, so slowing economic activity and a decline in business demand would result into fewer job openings, but not necessarily translate into layoffs.

Currently, the unemployment rate is projected to remain below 4.5 percent in 2023.

Timed with July 7 World Chocolate Day, Fairtrade America, the world's most recognized label for social justice and sustainability, has launched a national campaign to generate broader awareness of the unjust price that farmers receive to produce the goods that we rely on everyday, including cocoa. The "It's Only Fair," campaign features three videos connecting shoppers in the U.S. to smallholder cocoa farmers in West Africa and the dire issues farmers are facing around the world by disrupting people's routines with the simple question, "How long would you work for $1?" Because of the unfair and unjust realities of the global food market, many cocoa farmers work an entire day for between $0.78-$1.00[1]. That's significantly below the international poverty line. Through this new campaign, Fairtrade America hopes to turn this big global issue into a more relatable problem, inspiring viewers to pause, reflect, learn and share about the impact unfair trade has on farmers and workers around the world.

Globally, cocoa and chocolate together are a $48.29 billion industry[2] that is expected to grow, yet cocoa farmers are currently battling inflation, rising production costs, the climate crisis and COVID-19 related challenges while the price they earn for cocoa hasn't risen to meet these changes. As they navigate these challenges, they are asking for the same fair business practices and respect any entrepreneur would desire - a fair deal - so they can have a sustainable future in farming.

Smallholder, family-run farms with less than five acres of land and average yield between 1,300-1,760 lbs per year of cocoa provide 90% of the world's cocoa beans[3]. The cocoa industry is an important source of revenue for about 50 million people, including 5 million farming households.[4] Two cocoa farmers from Ghana, Deborah Osei-Mensah and Solomon Boateng, share just how important it is to their families and communities to get a fair deal.

Deborah Osei-Mensah - Livelihood Development Officer of Ghana's Asunafo North Farmers Union, leader of the union's Monitoring and Evaluation Team and Fairtrade Youth Ambassador. "My cooperative produces cocoa and includes close to 10,000 cocoa farmers from 67 communities. I'm currently the Operations Manager in charge of child protection, gender and livelihood issues. Fairtrade has transformed me. While I used to be shy, I am now more confident both in my farming business and life. I've also seen first-hand the evolving business side of cocoa. In my role with Asunafo, I am honored to help train other women to diversify their incomes beyond cocoa, and I am working to achieve my Masters of Science in Environment, Water and Sustainability from the University of Energy and Natural Resources in Ghana to be able to help my community better mitigate the challenges of climate change. My community and I ask for businesses to commit to supporting farmers in producing your cocoa and offer a fair deal; for consumers to be conscious about what they are consuming. Be fair, purchase fair and, with that, make the future fair - there's just one world and we should be supporting each other within it."

Solomon Boateng - Certification Risk Manager, Kuapa Kokoo Farmers Union. "At Kuapa Kokoo, the Fairtrade Premium has been used in various ways for us to reinvest in our cocoa farms. The program is so important in terms of making sure our community has the resources that are necessary to combat challenges, like climate change. For example, last year we utilized our premium to distribute over 160,000 shade trees to our farmers in an effort to protect our cocoa trees from the rising temperatures in Ghana, and this year we are supplying more than 150,000. When you look at the cocoa pricing system, it's clear that farmers are not getting what we should. We are asking businesses to do business with us - fair business. Farmers are business people and want the respect that those in America look for when doing business, too. With the newest challenge of inflation upon all of us, some producers are facing the issue of not being able to stay in production at all. Pay us a fair price for the work we do and goods we produce, especially if we want these goods to be around in the next few decades."

Because of unfair trading practices, many farmers and workers around the world can't make a living wage, no matter how hard they work. Extreme poverty can also lead to other problems, like deforestation and child labor. Farmers are forced to answer unthinkable questions, like "Should I preserve this forest? Or should I clear it to feed my family?" These problems aren't new. For decades, corporations and governments have seen and ignored them or failed to address the root of the issue - poverty. The promising news is that as more and more consumers demand change, companies and governments will need to take action. A recent study found that shoppers in the U.S. are willing to pay up to 30% more per bar for Fairtrade chocolate[5], so why aren't we?

"Farmers aren't getting a fair deal. This is not only unjust, it is also unsustainable," shared Peg Willingham, Executive Director of Fairtrade America. "Fairtrade believes that everyone deserves a decent standard of living. It's only fair to pay a price that supports an existence worthy of human dignity."

A recent report from Mainlevel Consulting and commissioned by Fairtrade found that Fairtrade positively impacts certified farmers and their communities when compared to non-Fairtrade certified farmers, particularly in times of difficulty and distress. However, researchers also identified significant challenges that risk undermining the gains Fairtrade farmers have achieved and that threaten their livelihoods. The advantages of the Fairtrade system are falling under increasing pressure from compounding global calamities such as the climate crisis, COVID-19, and prices that are too low to cover rising costs of farming and daily life. The study also warns that progress toward reducing poverty – as well as the goal of achieving living incomes – will be stalled, if not reversed, if farmers are not paid more.

The 15-second videos at the heart of the campaign feature three scenarios, a barber shop, a tanning salon and a kid's birthday party to show how long workers in the U.S. might work for just $1. No surprise - it's not very long. Though the ads are humorous and meant to catch viewers' attention quickly, the issues they tackle are complex and require all actors along the supply chain, including traders, governments, brands and consumers, to take action to ensure cocoa farmers are paid enough to have a decent living. With the videos, Fairtrade America is encouraging consumers to consider the impact that their purchasing decisions are having on others around the globe and spark conversations about what can be done to change the situation. Simple shifts, like choosing a chocolate bar with the green and blue Fairtrade Mark - a certification that shows farmers got a fairer deal and their commodities were sourced in compliance with Fairtrade's rigorous environmental, social and economic Standards - during a trip to the grocery store can have a positive impact on the nearly 2 million farmers and workers participating in Fairtrade around the world.

"We hope these videos first get viewers to chuckle, and second help them consider how little $1 a day in pay truly is," continued Willingham. "Farmers work extremely hard to produce our favorite goods like cocoa, coffee and bananas, while struggling with challenges like extreme weather from climate change and rising costs. We hope these videos get people talking about these issues and motivate them to make thoughtful purchases with people and the planet in mind whenever possible."

Fairtrade America is asking consumers to share the videos and help spread the word about unfair trade practices by starting conversations with friends and loved ones about the benefits of Fairtrade

"Now, more than ever, we must listen to farmers and workers around the globe. As we continue to face inflation, we must consider those who make less than $1 per day producing the goods we often take for granted in the U.S. and how they are experiencing the same, and even worse, conditions. We hope these videos bring positive awareness to the need to pay farmers a living wage and ignite a call to action for change. Choose a fairer deal. Choose Fairtrade," urged Willingham.

Fairtrade America works to rebalance trade, making it a system rooted in partnership and mutual respect rather than exploitation. It's about businesses, shoppers, farmers and workers all partnering so we can all experience the benefits of trade. Fairtrade America is the US chapter of Fairtrade International, the original and global leader in fair trade certification with more than 30 years of experience working for fair trading practices in more than 30 countries across the globe. A non-profit 501(c)3 organization, Fairtrade America is the world's largest and most recognized fair trade system—part of a global movement for change.