Report: 61 Companies Cut or Ended DEI Since 2023

The phrase “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (or DEI) grew from virtually nothing in 2019 to a fast peak in 2021. But since then, DEI has given away nearly all of its gains in the workplace.

In this report, we cover 61 organizations (including companies, universities, and government entities) that have reduced or eliminated their DEI programs. These organizations…

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Full list | Downloadable spreadsheet | Fortune 100 DEI Policy Database | Notable DEI statistics

👉 Notable Companies Rolling Back DEI Initiatives 👈

Here are the announcements of 25 companies cutting or closing their DEI programs. As new announcements come out, we’ll update the report.

Want to access the full list in a spreadsheet?
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Accenture

Action: Removed certain DEI policies
Date: 2/7/2025
Story: “The global information technology (IT) and management consulting firm said in a memo from CEO Julie Sweet to employees on Thursday that it is “sunsetting” its diversity goals it established in 2017, which had largely been achieved, while DEI targets will no longer be used to assess staff performance.” (source)

Learn more about Accenture’s DEI timeline.

Alphabet (Google)

February 2025: Google ends diversity-based hiring targets

Action: Removed certain DEI policies
Date: 2/6/2025
Story: “Google is scrapping its goal to hire more employees from underrepresented groups and is reviewing some of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives” (source)

February 2024: Google scaled back certain DEI policies and laid off some DEI staff in 2023

Action: Scaled back DEI Department
Date: 2/2/2024
Story: Google backtracked on some key diversity programs in 2023 amid a tightening budget. The company also laid off some staff supporting this initiative. (source)

Read more about Google’s retreat from DEI.

Aldi USA

Action: Altered DEI language and focus
Date: 1/31/2025
Story: “On Jan. 18, the website featured a section titled ‘Aldinclusive’… [and] a larger corporate page that shared the steps Aldi takes to promote inclusion for all, and its $5.5 million DE&I Philanthropic Fund. Both of these pages no longer exist.” (source)

Learn more about Aldi’s changing DEI program.

BJ’s Wholesale Club

Action: Altered DEI language and focus
Date: 1/25/2025
Story: “BJ’s Wholesale Club’s ‘Inclusivity’ page was deleted on January 25, 2025. The page currently shows a 404 error (the page could not be found).”

Learn more about BJ’s’ changing DEI program.

Meta (Facebook)

Action: Dismantled DEI Department
Date: 1/10/2025
Story: “Citing the ‘shifting legal and policy landscape,’ Meta’s memo announced five big DEI pullbacks:
1. Cutting Meta’s DEI team
2. Ending equity and inclusion programs
3. Sunsetting supplier diversity efforts
4. Ending the ‘Diverse Slate Approach’ to hiring
5. Ending representation goals.” (source)

*Meta is one of 6 Fortune 100 companies that outright closed their DEI departments.

McDonald’s

Action: Scaled back DEI Department
Date: 1/6/2025
Story: “The company will no longer set ‘aspirational representation goals’ and will instead continue to “embed inclusion practices” into its day-to-day business.” (source)

See Also:

Nissan

Action: Scaled back DEI Department
Date: 12/18/2024
Story: “Nissan executives worked with him to implement several reforms, Starbuck said, including the end of diversity-based hiring practices and mandatory DEI or LGBTQ training for employees.” (source)

Southwest Airlines

Action: Scaled back DEI Department
Date: 12/5/2024
Story: Southwest Airlines is backing away from its diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring programs in response to legal action from a conservative organization. (source)

Target

Action: Legal Challenges Over DEI Policies
Date: 12/5/2024
Story: AFL filed a lawsuit against Target claiming the board had misled investors about the financial risks of its DEI and ESG practices. (source)

Walmart

Action: Scaled back DEI Department
Date: 11/27/2024
Story: Walmart will start to unwind its Center for Racial Equity. CEO stated the DEI policy change is designed to “ensure every customer, every associate” feels welcome and like they belong. (source)

Molson Coors Beverage

Action: Dismantled DEI Department
Date: 9/20/2024
Story: Molson Coors said it will be getting rid of supplier diversity quotas, and stated its DEI employee training is complete and that it will no longer have specific “representation goals” in its hiring process. (source)

Access the data

United Airlines

Action: Legal Challenges Over DEI Policies
Date: 11/8/2024
Story: AFL filed a complaint against United Airlines with the OFCCP accusing United of intentionally, and systematically violating its equal opportunity covenants and assurances. (source)

Boeing

Action: Dismantled DEI Department
Date: 11/5/2024
Story: Boeing Co. has dismantled its global DEI department, staff will be combined with another human resources team focused on talent and employee experience (source)

*Boeing is one of 6 Fortune 100 companies that outright closed their DEI departments.

Toyota

Action: Scaled back DEI Department
Date: 10/9/2024
Story: Toyota backtrack on its support of LGBTQ+ causes, Pride Month, and overall DEI initiatives in an attempt to soothe its conservative customers (source)

Morgan Stanley

Action: Altered DEI Language and Focus
Date: 9/17/2024
Story: A Morgan Stanley spokesperson stated while no formal representation objectives are outlined in this year’s ESG Report, we continue to be focused on improving representation among underrepresented groups at all levels. (source)

BlackRock

Action: Scaled back DEI Department
Date: 9/12/2024
Story: BlackRock reported that it had significantly reduced its support for shareholder proposals addressing environmental and social issues. (source)

Ford

Action: Scaled back DEI Department
Date: 8/28/2024
Story: Ford said it will redefine its DEI Program amid pressure from conservative groups including ending participation in an LGBTQ advocacy group’s ranking system (source)

Lowe’s

Action: Scaled back DEI Department
Date: 8/27/2024
Story: The retailer began “reviewing” its programs following the court’s July 2023 ruling and the company recently decided to combine its resource groups. (source)

Harley-Davidson

Action: Dismantled DEI Department
Date: 8/19/2024
Story: Harley-Davidson announced that they have not operated a DEI function since April 2024, and ended hiring quotas and supplier diversity spend goals (source)

Microsoft

Action: Dismantled DEI Department
Date: 7/19/2024
Story: The company cited “changing business needs” as the reason for dismantling its DEI team, despite earlier commitments to diversity following the 2020 racial reckoning. (source)

*Microsoft is one of 6 Fortune 100 companies that outright closed their DEI departments.

John Deere

Action: Pressured on DEI transparency and/or shareholder votes
Date: 7/18/2024
Story: John Deere says it will no longer sponsor “social or cultural awareness” events and ensures the absence of socially-motivated messages. They noted that it would still continue to “track and advance” the diversity of the company, without providing further details. (source)

CNN

Action: Dismantled DEI Department
Date: 7/12/2024
Story: CNN quietly disbanded its “Race and Equality” team of reporters as part of a major restructuring that included firing 100 staffers (source)

Tractor Supply Co.

Action: Dismantled DEI Department
Date: 6/28/2024
Story: Tractor Supply said it would be eliminating all of its diversity, equity and inclusion roles while retiring current DEI goals. It did not elaborate on what was entailed in eliminating DEI roles. (source)

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Action: Altered DEI Language and Focus
Date: 6/18/2024
Story: Chipotle removed or de-emphasized DEI when setting executive pay (source)

UPS

Action: Pressured on DEI transparency and/or shareholder votes
Date: 5/19/2024
Story: A shareholder resolution asked the company to produce a report detailing the effectiveness of its equity initiatives and to provide metrics. The proposal received about 22% of shareholder votes, not enough to pass. (source)

Starbucks

Action: Pressured on DEI transparency and/or shareholder votes
Date: 3/15/2024
Story: Starbucks’s equality, social and governance goals will be part of a longer-term incentive program that makes up about 25% of bonuses that no longer mentions DEI, referring instead to “talent. Starbucks retains inclusion and diversity goals within its overall compensation structure, a spokesperson said in a statement. (source)

Access the best DEI policy data

Download this list of companies ending DEI for free in spreadsheet form here.

Or, access the Fortune 100 DEI policy database here.

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Notable Statistics About The Decline of DEI

Mentions of “DEI” in quarterly earnings calls have declined from a peak above 300 in Q2 2021 to below 30 in Q4 of 2024 (source: Axios)

DEI roles grew 25% from 2019-2021 but have shrunk 20% since 2022. (source: Live Data Technologies)

34% of the companies in Buildremote’s report removed DEI policies
An additional 29% dismantled their DEI department altogether
Six times as many companies reduced or closed their DEI departments in 2024 than in 2023

Source:

Buildremote, January 2025
https://buildremote.co/companies/ending-dei/

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11 Comments

Jackie says:

January 11, 2025 at 11:05 am

These companies have removed language, but what are the policies of hiring now based on merit?

1. Jill says:
  
  February 3, 2025 at 9:42 am
  
  They always hired based on merit. DEI just pushes HR to ensure the candidate list contains qualified people of color, men and women, disabled individuals and veterans where possible. It is surprising how often hiring managers hire the non-white male candidates simply because there was an opportunity to interview a diverse group of folks and the most qualified was NOT the white guy.
  
Ann P says:

January 22, 2025 at 4:38 pm

Thank you so much for this updated information.

Bill says:

January 23, 2025 at 10:50 pm

Did I miss Amazon on the list? Their trucks have been going down my street every day for years and I’ve literally never seen a white Amazon driver while 71% of the American population is white.

I also want to report the company I work for who are taking DEI to the extreme but I’m not sure if this is the place to do it. They not only hire but they give promotions based on DEI. A few managers have been harassing me repeatedly since 2019 and they’ve tried real hard to get me fired or “let go” because I voiced my feedback on DEI. They came real close to letting me go several times

1. Brittney says:
  
  January 29, 2025 at 2:46 pm
  
  Does it matter who delivers your package? Maybe the white population thinks delivering packages is below them…ever think of that?
  
Michelle E says:

January 31, 2025 at 2:42 pm

Costco…get on the ball or I will close my membership. I would really hate to do that. Your company was fantastic during the c word when others were out of items completely. I also need a company that serves me with competence, not the importance of gender and color.

1. Mo says:
  
  February 18, 2025 at 8:40 am
  
  Close membership.
  
2. Stef says:
  
  February 19, 2025 at 6:08 am
  
  Costco has been holding fast on DEI and has been very outspoken about it.
  
M says:

February 6, 2025 at 2:12 pm

Lots of companies for me to boycott!

1. Annette says:
  
  February 18, 2025 at 6:28 am
  
  yep
  
Ann L. Chinn says:

February 17, 2025 at 11:21 am

Why is it assumed by most of these replies that diversity = unqualified or incompetent. Knowing yourself, and your prejudices, is a first step in progress.