JB Hi-Fi
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 2 sources
Melbourne retailer of electronics, appliances, music and games.
Until JB Hi-Fi traces its cobalt, gold and tin to the mine, it can't show that the miners who dig them are safe or fairly paid.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent JB Hi-Fi? Send a right of reply.
Compare JB Hi-Fi with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to trace them.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- 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.
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 China, Vietnam and Malaysia.
- 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 or links
- 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't trace
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
JB Hi-Fi names some of the countries it makes in: China. The rest is shown as where electronics are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| TaiwanUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| South KoreaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
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.
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Relies on metals such as cobalt, gold and tin from artisanal mines where miners, including children, face toxic dust, mercury exposure and deadly tunnel collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Graded on its own-brand accessories (XCD, Flea Market, Terminal 2; about $21m a year), which four Australian suppliers source from 31 final assembly sites in China; no factory list is published. In FY2025 it reviewed 29 audits of these sites: 179 findings, mostly long hours and unpaid social insurance, and none of modern slavery. It is a Responsible Business Alliance member, its sourcing policy includes a living wage requirement and it joins the RBA Living Wage Taskforce, but it reports no wage figures. It does not mention Xinjiang or publish a smelter list.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | JB Hi-Fi Limited's FY2025 joint statement (covering The Good Guys) reviewed 29 audits of 31 private label assembly sites in China, with no modern slavery findings. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Monash University's 2024 review of modern slavery disclosure rated JB Hi-Fi's statement A. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's Electronics Industry Report (series ended 2016) rated electronics brands, not retailers; JB Hi-Fi was not assessed. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | KnowTheChain's 2025 ICT benchmark covers large technology manufacturers, not electronics retailers. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 2
Show all 2 sources
- JB Hi-Fi Limited - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Monash 2024 modern slavery disclosure grade A; RBA and Responsible Minerals Initiative member
Published by JB Hi-Fi or its owner
- JB Hi-Fi Limited Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · Own brands from 4 suppliers, 31 China sites; 29 audits, 179 findings, no modern slavery; RBA member; living wage policy; 16,000+ staff
Company details
- Owned by
- JB Hi-Fi Limited (ASX: JBH)
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 16,000
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is JB Hi-Fi ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/jb-hi-fi, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other TV and audio brands
Nothing we've rated in TV and audio is better than Lacks transparency yet.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent JB Hi-Fi.