Cambodian garment workers face employment crisis

Updated October 7, 2009

While economists are talking up a slow recovery from the global economic crisis, its effect continues to haunt developing countries.

New figures show more than 20,000 Cambodians lost their jobs in the garment industry this year alone. It's a huge blow to Cambodia's largest income earner - which provides 80 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings and employs an estimated 350,000 people a year. Most of these workers are women and the United Nations warns many might be forced into the sex industry.

Presenter: Anna WalkerSpeakers: Ken Loo, secretary-general of Cambodia's Garment Manufacturers Association