Fruit of the Loom
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
US maker of basic T-shirts, underwear, socks and fleece.
Fruit of the Loom makes its Basic T-shirts, underwear and fleece in its own factories in seven countries, with about 40% in Honduras and 16% in Morocco.
Also worth knowing
It's working towards a living wage through the Fair Labor Association's fair compensation programme, but can't yet show workers are paid one.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Fruit of the Loom? Send a right of reply.
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Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Working towards a living wage. That's enough for On Track, but Good needs proof that workers are paid one.
- Its red flag, no proof yet of a living wage, is allowed for On Track because it's working towards one.
- Checks its own supply chain. Fruit of the Loom looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced and child labour in 2017 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: working towards one
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in Honduras, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
- 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 child and forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade.
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No proof yet that it pays a living wage (it's working towards one)
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Gives workers a real voice | |
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Fruit of the Loom's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honduras | 40% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Morocco | 16% | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Vietnam | 12% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 9% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | 8% | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Signed the International Accord on garment factory safety
- Modern slavery statement
- Owns or runs its own production
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Reports child labour cases found and fixed
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Fruit of the Loom made 82% of its products in its own facilities in 2022, with plants in Honduras, El Salvador, Morocco, Vietnam, Haiti, Mexico and the US; it does not publish production shares by country. It has been accredited by the Fair Labor Association since 2011, publishes a supplier and licensee list, and has signed the International Accord. It scored 28/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, below average, and has no public living wage commitment; a 2019 Clean Clothes Campaign review found no evidence any of its workers earned a living wage. Since 2016 it has closed most of its unionised Honduran factories.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Scored 28 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, below the 31.5 average (30 in 2024). View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Scored 34% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, above the 26% average. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Joint modern slavery statement (May 2025) covering Fruit of the Loom, Russell and Vanity Fair: 92+ factories in 20 countries, bulk in the US, Honduras, El Salvador, Morocco and Vietnam. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Problem found | Records the 2025 closure of two unionised Fruit of the Loom factories in Honduras, with a company response denying union busting. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Got the lowest possible grade in the Clean Clothes Campaign's 2019 Tailored Wages report, for showing no evidence that any worker making its clothes earned a living wage. Shop Ethical cites it in rating the company F (checked October 2026). 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Fruit of the Loom's own audits found modern slavery at direct suppliers in Taiwan and Malaysia and seven cases of child labour at suppliers in China (6) and Egypt (1) between 2014 and 2017 (company modern slavery statement, 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. | YesThe company says all cases were remedied and no further modern slavery or child labour findings have occurred at its direct suppliers since 2017. |
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.
- In 2025 Fruit of the Loom closed two unionised factories it owns in Honduras, Jerzees Nuevo Dia and Confecciones Dos Caminos, affecting more than 3,000 workers; unions and labour groups call it union busting, while the company says the closures were due to market changes and had nothing to do with unions (Worker Rights Consortium, Sourcing Journal, 2025). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Fair Labor Association - Fruit of the Loom · search the archive · Joined FLA 2002, accredited 2011; owned and direct-sourced facilities in scope
- Fruit of the Loom - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Rated F (Oct 2026); Ethical Fashion Report 2026 score 28/100 (average 31.5); lowest Tailored Wages 2019 grade; FTI 2023 34%; Accord signatory
- A Leading Garment Brand Exits the High Road (Worker Rights Consortium) · search the archive · 2009 Honduras agreement; unionised factories closed since 2016; Jerzees Nuevo Dia shut April 2025
- Closure of unionised Fruit of the Loom factories a form of union busting (BHRRC / Sourcing Journal) · search the archive · Unions allege union busting; company says closures are restructuring and not based on union presence
- Fruit of the Loom - FAQs · search the archive · 82% of products made in own facilities in 2022; plants in Australia, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Morocco, Vietnam, US; 27,000 employees
- Fruit of the Loom: Our Supply Chain (with downloadable supplier list fotl-supplier-ws.azurewebsites.net/api/suppliers) · search the archive · Country breakdown (factory count (owned sites weighted by 89% own-production share; sourced sites by count for the remaining 11%))
Published by Fruit of the Loom or its owner
- Fruit of the Loom modern slavery statement (May 2025) · search the archive · 92+ factories in 20 countries; child labour (China, Egypt) and modern slavery (Taiwan, Malaysia) findings 2014-17, remedied; none since
Company details
- Owned by
- Berkshire Hathaway
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 27,000
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Fruit of the Loom ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/fruit-of-the-loom, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded basics
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Fruit of the Loom.