In the fashion industry, augmenting production drives consequently specialized workers’ pay; likewise, salaries of operators handling the digital channel are rising as well. Conversely, managers’ wages are decreasing.
How much fashion workers earn
Matteo Agrifoglio, Central Italy manager, at Spring Professional, clarifies, while speaking to pmi.it, that wages earned by an assembly belt supervisor, who oversees and handles the footwear-manufacturing process, may even go beyond 50,000 euros a year. In Central Italy, in 2018, fashion industry salaries increased by 1.7%, and even went up by 2.7% in Abruzzi and 2% in Umbria. In Tuscany, luxury companies are recruiting experienced managers “preferably coming from other industries, to implement industrial attitudes and organizations in a still artisan-focused sector”, commented Agrifoglio.
Artisans’ wages
Qualified artisans, specialized in leather goods and footwear, a great deal sought by companies, have been traditionally enjoying very good wages. At present, luxury top brands are augmenting their production, but, at the same time, they must cope with a shortage of skilled workers: consequently, salaries are progressively increasing. In fact, in the Marche, skilled tailors, who are proficient in sewing samples and most precious articles, may even earn up to 1,800 euros a month.
Digital employees’ profit margins
Likewise, digital employees’ wages are enjoying a boost, alongside the importance of digital channel in the company business. In fact, compared to the average increase in the fashion industry, digital salaries have been going up by 3 to 3.5% more. Nevertheless, digital jobs are still quite underrated in terms of earnings: in Italy, managers earn over 54,000 euros a year on average, whereas in the IT sector wages do not go beyond 52,000 euros (as reported by Business Weekly). In Italy, fixed remuneration, on annual basis, of an online sales manager amounts to over 68,000 euros: as highlighted by Il Sole 24 Ore, such pay is higher than the French one; conversely, in the United Kingdom and in the United States they earn 30% more.
Managers’ payslip gets lower
There is an exception though. On the one hand, fashion industry wages are increasing; yet, on the other hand, managers’ pay is decreasing. Badenoch & Clark reported the news after carrying out a survey based on 400,000 cases. Overall, in 2018, fashion and luxury industry wages have been rising, compared to 2017, as they also went beyond inflation edge (1.1%). As regards managers and employees in the textile industry, their remuneration is higher than national average salaries (over 3% more). In the fashion and luxury industry, it is even higher (over 8% more). It is not like that for managers though, as their wages are dropping. Perhaps, they had been rising too much in the previous years.
