By early 1997.Levi 's share of the domestic men's denim jeans market fell to 26% in 1997 from a high 48% in 1990. Burdened by new debt, Levi 's in February 1997 announced plans to cut its salaried workforce by 20% over 12 months. Later in November1997, the firm announced the closing of the 11 U.S. plants and layoffs of 6,395 workers. The company says that none of those jobs were transferred overseas. Still, over the years the company has shifted much of its work abroad. Industrywide in 1991. approximately 15% of the jeans for the U.S. market were manufactured abroad. Approximately 45% of the jeans were produced in foreign plants by the end of 1997.