ONE ILO ETHIOPIA - RESULTS FROM WORKER PHONE SURVEYS IN FOREIGN AND ETHIOPIAN APPAREL FIRMS

This brief presents the results from eight rounds of a high-frequency phone survey undertaken with Ethiopian apparel workers between 2020 and 2022. The survey covers a period of intense turmoil for both the Ethiopian apparel sector and the country as a whole. The main focus is on socio-economic situation facing apparel workers, in particular with regard to employment, wages, the ability to meet expenses and food needs, working hours, unionisation, and health provision. Due to the stark differeences between foreign and Ethiopia firms with regard to firm-level capabilities and access to international markets, much of the analysis contrasts the experiences of Ethiopian workers in foreign and Ethiopian companies.