ElevenMyanmar electronic newspaper reported that according to the ShweLinBan Industrial Zone Committee’s report on September 27, since the beginning of 2021, 35 factories have been closed in the ShweLinBan Industrial Zone in Yangon Province alone, causing nearly 20,000 workers lost their jobs. About 30 factories and workshops were temporarily closed, and 5 factories were closed permanently. The owners of the 35 factories closed down after paying wages to the workers. Among the 35 factories closed, at least 10 are garment factories.
In addition, according to the report of the relevant industry committee on September 23, 38 factories in Yangon’s HlaingTharyar Industrial Zone and ShweThanLwin Industrial Zone have been closed. HlaingTharyar Industrial Zone alone has closed 29 factories, resulting in approximately 7,000 workers losing their jobs. Nearly 3,000 workers have lost their jobs after nine factories in ShweThanLwin Industrial Zone closed.
On September 21, MyanmarUnique garments, a Myanmar enterprise in HlaingTharyar Industrial Zone, temporarily closed after five years of operation due to insufficient orders. One factory manager said that was partly due to the coronavirus crisis. Since 2020, there have been few orders received, and political issues are also one of the reasons. More and more factories and businesses are closing in Myanmar, which has taken a toll on workers.
