Labubu Under Scrutiny Due to Labor Violations.. Minors on Production Lines
January 13, 2026198 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
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Labubu's famous toys have faced a wave of human rights criticism after a Chinese factory supplying Pop Mart was accused of exploiting workers, including minors, amid the rapidly growing global demand for these dolls that became a cultural phenomenon last year.
Global Demand and Production Pressures
The Labubu dolls, produced by Pop Mart, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, have become one of the most popular toys in 2025, achieving sales of 4.8 billion yuan in the first half of the year. With revenue expected to reach 20 billion yuan, suppliers have resorted to rapidly expanding production.
Minors on Production Lines
According to an investigation by China Labor Watch, the Shunjia Toys factory in Jiangxi Province violated labor laws by employing minors under 18 years old in the same production line tasks assigned to adults, without any special protections, despite what Chinese law stipulates.
Ambiguous Contracts and Exhausting Hours
The report indicated that workers were forced to sign blank contracts, without clarifying wages, insurance, or the nature of the work, and high production quotas were imposed, reaching up to assembling 4000 toys daily, with overtime hours exceeding legal limits, where some workers recorded more than 100 overtime hours per month.
Doubling Production Capacity
Although the factory's official production capacity is 12 million toys annually, the organization estimated that actual production exceeded 24 million units, reflecting the pressure from increasing demand.
Pop Mart's Response
Pop Mart confirmed that it values workers' rights and conducts regular audits on its suppliers, noting that it has opened an internal investigation into these allegations, with a commitment to take corrective actions as needed. In contrast, no comment has been issued by Shunjia Toys factory.
