Retailers are suspending and canceling clothing orders, threatening millions of factory jobs in Asia just as China shows signs of recovering since the coronavirus outbreak. Retail experts say the slowdown looks to be significantly worst than the financial crisis of 2008, when brands suffered from reduced consumer spending but could offer cut-rate sales and other deals to entice frugal customers. Then many factories were kept busy with orders, though overall demand was dented. 'Times are different now,' said Sheng Lu, a professor of fashion and apparel at the University of Delaware, because shops and malls are closed in much of the U.S. and Europe. "This time is a business lockdown," he said. "The trade impact will be much larger." Mr. Lu said a 10% decline in exports for a country like Bangladesh could lead to a 4% to 9% drop in employment there, based on an analysis he conducted that correlates export growth with employment, using historical data from the International Labour Organization and the World Trade Organization.

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