Journal of Economics, Management and Trade

Problems Faced by Apparels Industry in Bilaspur District of Chhattisgarh and Its Potential in the Region

Preetam Sahu — 2026-09-04

The apparel industry is a labour-intensive, globally significant sector that supports economic growth and large-scale employment, particularly in emerging economies such as India. Against this backdrop, the present study examines the growth trajectory, development potential, and manager-reported constraints of the apparel industry in Bilaspur district of Chhattisgarh, India, between 2000 and 2024. A descriptive mixed-methods design was adopted, combining secondary data from government reports and academic literature with primary data collected through a pre-tested, self-structured questionnaire (Cronbach's α = 0.7923) administered to 50 managers of apparel manufacturing units in Bilaspur. Time-series data show that the number of apparel units in the district expanded from 459 in 2000 to 3,541 in 2024, with the highest period-on-period growth (147.39%) recorded in 2010. Parallel growth was observed in capital investment, which rose from ₹110.16 lakhs in 2000 to ₹1,816.73 lakhs in 2024, and in employment, which expanded from 895 workers in 2000 to 8,286 in 2024. Manager perceptions indicate that the following problems significantly (p ≤ 0.05) constrain the growth of the sector: lack of finance for operations (t = 4.22), inadequate raw-material quality and availability (t = 3.79), low productivity (t = 2.16), skill shortages (t = 2.54), weak infrastructure (t = 2.28), the rapid turnover of fashion preferences (t = 2.19), the absence of sector-specific government policies (t = 2.36), and environmental impacts of production (t = 2.05). The findings establish that the apparel industry of Bilaspur holds substantial potential for economic development, employment generation, socio-economic upliftment, infrastructure growth, and the deepening of local markets, but realising this potential requires targeted policy and institutional responses to the documented constraints.

A systematic Panel Analysis of Equity-Sector Sensitivity to Macro-Financial Indicators

Minsung Park — 2026-09-07

Aims: This study systematically evaluates whether eight macro-financial indicators are associated with subsequent equity-sector returns and whether the observed relationships are sector-specific or predominantly market-wide.

Study Design: An observational longitudinal panel design was applied to U.S. macro-financial indicators and exchange-traded-fund returns.

Methodology: A monthly panel spanning 1993–2026 combined eight indicators representing credit conditions, corporate profitability, housing, labour, real money growth, household equity allocation, the yield curve, and the copper/gold ratio with fourteen equity tickers. Indicator observations were aligned to approximate publication timing, and 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month forward log returns were calculated. Associations were assessed using heteroskedasticity- and autocorrelation-consistent linear regressions and indicator-specific regime comparisons.

Results: Associations were sparse at the 1-month horizon but became broader at 6- and 12-month horizons. The copper/gold ratio and household equity allocation showed the most pervasive inverse associations with subsequent returns. Temporary-help employment and corporate profit margin also displayed broader multi-quarter relationships, whereas housing starts and the 10-year minus 3-month yield-curve spread were comparatively weak. Several counterintuitive relationships were consistent with crisis-rebound or mean-reversion effects rather than stable causal prediction.

Conclusion: The findings support a medium-horizon regime-association interpretation more strongly than short-term market timing and should be regarded as exploratory pending multiplicity correction, vintage-data validation, stability assessment, and genuine out-of-sample evaluation.

Comparison of Colourfastness in Printex-Finished Cotton Fabrics across Three Washing Exposures: Key Soap Versus Standard Soap

Anastasia Amenya — 2026-09-09

Aim: This laboratory study compared the colourfastness of three black-and-white 100% cotton Printex fabric finishes (plain, embossed, and plissé) after three washing exposures with Key Soap and a Ghana Standards Authority reference soap (Standard Soap).

Methodology: The colourfastness component comprised 18 specimens representing three fabric finishes, two soap systems, and three washing exposures corresponding to 30, 60, and 90 min. Colour change was assessed against unwashed controls using the ISO Grey Scale for assessing change in colour. Three observers evaluated the washed and control specimens. The primary interpretation was descriptive. The one-way ANOVA values reported in the original analytical summary are retained as exploratory because the colourfastness subset contained one specimen per finish × soap × washing-duration condition.

Results: With Key Soap, all finishes were rated 4–5 after 30 min; after 60 min, the embossed finish declined to 4; and after 90 min, the plain and plissé finishes were rated 4 while the embossed finish was rated 3. Under the study's predefined pass criterion of at least 3–4, only the embossed finish under Key Soap at 90 min fell below the criterion. With Standard Soap, all recorded ratings remained at or above 3–4 across the three washing exposures, although the pattern was not strictly monotonic. Exploratory ANOVA values were p = .42 for Key Soap and p = .03 for Standard Soap; these p-values are not treated as confirmatory evidence because independent replication at each experimental cell was not available.

Conclusion: Within the tested fabrics and laboratory conditions, colour retention varied with fabric finish, washing exposure, and soap product. The most pronounced colour loss occurred for the embossed fabric washed with Key Soap for 90 min. The findings support product- and finish-specific care recommendations, while broader claims about detergent chemistry or general detergent superiority require replicated testing and direct chemical characterization.