Nike Factory Workers Report Insufficient Monthly Wages
Employees in Vietnam and Indonesia say base pay fails to cover living costs, forcing many to take on second jobs.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Employment
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Contract factory workers manufacturing Nike products in Vietnam and Indonesia report that their monthly wages are inadequate for basic living necessities. Many employees maintain supplemental income through secondary jobs to manage expenses despite Nike's 2018 commitment to a living wage.
Why it matters
The wage disparity highlights ongoing labor concerns within the supply chain, as some workers report earning less in a full month than the retail price of a single pair of Air Jordans. These financial pressures persist even as the company moves forward with a plan to save $2.5 billion over four years.
Nike maintains 712 factories globally, including 183 in Vietnam and 64 in Indonesia that employ a combined 780,000 workers. Some employees report monthly salaries as low as $150 in Indonesia and $236 in Vietnam, with 70 percent of workers reportedly holding second jobs.
The players
Nike
Nike is a multinational corporation that designs, develops, and sells athletic footwear, apparel, and equipment worldwide.
The details
Workers rely on debt and supplemental labor, such as cleaning houses or selling snacks, to meet essential needs for food and housing. This follows a long history of supply chain scrutiny that dates back to labor scandals in the 1990s.
Timeline
The 1990s marked the emergence of significant labor scandals within the supply chain.
Nike released a corporate responsibility report regarding living wages in 2018.
An investigation into factory wages was published in October 2026.
Macro View
These reports of stagnant factory wages follow a historical pattern set by the 1990s Nike sweatshop scandals. While the company has implemented various corporate responsibility programs since then, the persistence of supplemental income reliance suggests that wage growth has failed to keep pace with the cost of living for many manufacturing workers.
The disparity between manufacturing wages and retail pricing may influence consumer perception regarding the ethics of global supply chains. Readers who track corporate social responsibility may find that these findings impact how they evaluate brand transparency and purchasing decisions.
The takeaway
Workers in major manufacturing hubs continue to face systemic financial insecurity despite corporate pledges made in recent years. This situation underscores the gap between public commitments to living wages and the daily economic realities faced by those in the supply chain.
Further reading
For additional context on global labor trends, visit the Employment section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mail Online.
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