Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
US chip company selling Ryzen processors and Radeon graphics cards.
There's no proof AMD pays more than the legal minimum, which in Malaysia and China is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour, last recorded in 2025) was found by its own checks and is being fixed.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
- Checks its own supply chain. AMD looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced labour in 2025 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in Malaysia and China.
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings it isn't fixingIts own checks found forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade. An unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its cobalt, gold and other conflict minerals to the mine
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
AMD says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: cobalt, tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold mining carry child and forced labour risk (DR Congo, Indonesia), and assembly overtime is widespread.
- Publishes its mineral smelter list and uses independently audited smelters (RMAP) for tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- It publishes its smelters or uses some recycled or responsibly mined metals, but can't yet trace its cobalt and gold to the mine.
Research notes AMD owns no factories: TSMC and GlobalFoundries make its chips, which are packaged and tested by Tongfu joint ventures in Penang, Malaysia and Suzhou, China, and by Taiwanese firms SPIL and KYEC. AMD is a full RBA member, says 99% of its manufacturing suppliers had an RBA audit or equivalent, and publishes audit results and its 3TG smelter list, but reports no cobalt tracing or living wage commitment. It scored 35/100 in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark. It gives no split of production between Malaysia, China and Taiwan, so no shares are shown.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| KnowTheChain | Listed | Scored 35/100 and ranked 7th of 45 companies in the 2025 KnowTheChain ICT benchmark, scoring zero on purchasing practices. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | AMD's own RBA audits of its manufacturing suppliers found 12 priority findings in 2025, three of them on forced labour, with 64% of all problems found rated major (AMD Supplier Audit Summary, 2025). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlySuppliers had to close corrective action plans under the RBA audit process; no worker remedy reported. |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- KnowTheChain recorded one allegation linking AMD's supply chain to Uyghur forced labour and found AMD did not disclose what it did about it (KnowTheChain, 2025). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- KnowTheChain 2025 ICT scorecard: AMD · search the archive · 35/100, 7th of 45; zero on purchasing practices; one Uyghur forced labour allegation
- AMD Form 10-K FY2025 · search the archive · About 31,000 staff; TSMC and GlobalFoundries make wafers; packaging and test by Tongfu joint ventures, SPIL and KYEC in Asia-Pacific
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (JB Hi-Fi) · search the archive · AMD Ryzen processors sold by JB Hi-Fi in Australia
Published by AMD or its owner
- AMD and Nantong Fujitsu Microelectronics close assembly and test joint venture · search the archive · Assembly and test joint venture sites are in Penang, Malaysia and Suzhou, China; AMD keeps 15%
- AMD Manufacturing Supplier Audit Summary · search the archive · Full RBA member; 81 RBA audits in 2025; 12 priority findings incl. 3 forced labour; 64% of nonconformances major
- AMD Supply Chain Responsibility · search the archive · 99% of manufacturing suppliers had an RBA audit or equivalent (2020-25); no living wage commitment
- AMD Conflict Minerals Report 2025 · search the archive · Lists about 218 3TG smelters and refiners; 95% take part in RMAP; no cobalt data
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 31,000
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is AMD ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/amd, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded laptops and computers
No laptops and computers brand selling new goods is Good yet. This is the strongest so far. Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent AMD.