Labour Lens

New Era

On Track

On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.

Clothing & footwear

Partly verified: what this means

Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources

Buffalo, New York maker of licensed sports caps, backed by ACON Investments.

New Era makes most of its baseball caps, headwear and sportswear in seven countries, including China and Vietnam, and publishes a modern slavery statement.

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.

Visit website (opens in a new tab)See better bags and accessories options

Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent New Era? Send a right of reply.

Compare New Era with another brand

Why it's graded On Track

  • Not met: Meets 2 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.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 2 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 China, 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 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: 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)
Stars it would earn as Good:
StarAwarded for
Gives workers a real voice

Stars only show on Good companies. About stars

Accreditations 1

Estimates for its products

Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using New Era's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.

Hats, T-shirts, Hoodies & sweatshirts, Jackets & coats: On Track, the same as New Era overall, because nothing we know differs between them.

Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.

Where it's made

New Era names some of the countries it makes in: China, Vietnam, the United States, Bangladesh, Guatemala, Mexico and Myanmar. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
CountryShareWorker rightsLegal minimum wageForced labour risk
China33%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageModerate
Vietnam15%Systematic violationsWell below a living wageModerate
BangladeshNot givenNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
GuatemalaNot givenNo guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
MexicoNot givenRegular violationsBelow a living wageModerate
MyanmarNot givenNo guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageVery high
IndiaUsual for the industry3%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageHigh
CambodiaUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageModerate
TürkiyeUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsBelow a living wageVery high
IndonesiaUsual for the industry2%No guarantee of rightsWell below a living wageModerate
PakistanUsual for the industry1%No guarantee of rightsFar below a living wageHigh
United States1%Systematic violationsBelow a living wageLow

Evidence

What we found

  • Modern slavery statement
  • Independent social audits of all its main factories
  • 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 New Era makes most of its caps through contract factories: in 2019 it reported 83 contract factories in 16 countries, led by China (34) and Vietnam (15), with others in Bangladesh and Guatemala, plus one owned US factory; FLA factory reports to 2025 also cover Mexico and Myanmar. It is a Fair Labor Association accredited company, with independent factory assessments and a 2022 fair compensation commitment, but it publishes no factory list or living wage target, and says nothing on where its cotton comes from. Shares above are counted from the 2019 factory numbers.

What independent sources say

SourceResultDetails
UK Modern Slavery Statement RegistryListedPublishes a UK modern slavery statement covering 2025, describing announced and unannounced supplier audits and FLA membership since 2003. View

Sources and actions

Sources 7

Show all 7 sources
  1. FLA reaccreditation report: New Era Cap (2020) · search the archive · 83 contract factories in 16 countries (China 34, Vietnam 15) plus one owned Florida factory; FLA urged a fair compensation plan
  2. New Era Cap, LLC - Fair Labor Association member profile · search the archive · Member since 2003, accredited 2007; factory reports 2016-25 in VN, CN, GT, MX, BD, Myanmar; 2022 fair compensation commitment
  3. New Era Cap - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Buffalo NY cap maker that owns '47 Brand; FLA accredited; aligned with the Transparency Pledge
  4. New Era Cap Factory Closure, Derby NY (Worker Rights Consortium) · search the archive · 2019: closure of owned unionised Derby plant, about 200 jobs lost; WRC said not a code violation; 2001 violations fully remedied
  5. New Era Cap raises $700M with NFL, NBA, MLB investing (Front Office Sports, 2022) · search the archive · 2022: ACON Investments closed a ~$700m continuation round for New Era; NFL, NBA and MLB took minority stakes

Published by New Era or its owner

  1. New Era Modern Slavery Act Statement (UK) · search the archive · 2025 statement: announced and unannounced supplier audits with worker interviews; no living wage or materials tracing disclosed
  2. New Era supply chain transparency · search the archive · Uses owned and contract facilities in 16 countries; audits by FLA-accredited monitors and in-house staff

Company details

Headquarters
United States
Last researched
2 November 2026
Cite this page
Labour Lens, "Is New Era ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/new-era, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method
Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means

Better-graded bags and accessories

15 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: GlamCorner and Blue Spinach and 13 more · See them allGoodJoyyaClothing & footwearFair trade organic tees and bagsIts own factories in India hold WFTO Guaranteed Fair Trade.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice; Open supply chain; Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities5 starsThe Social StudioClothing & footwearSocial enterprise fashion labelIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Gives workers a real voice; Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities4 starsMiddlemostClothing & footwearOne-off clothing from vintage textilesIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Open supply chain3 stars

Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.

See every bags and accessories brand

Something missing or wrong?

Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent New Era.

Send evidenceSend a right of reply