Report: 68 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.

This report covers 68 organizations (including companies, universities, and government entities) that have reduced or eliminated their DEI programs. These organizations…

• Have 1,000+ employees
• The stories that have been publicly shared

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

 

👉 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?

 

State Street

• Action: Removed certain DEI policies
• Date: 3/3/2025
• Story: “State Street has quietly eliminated its board diversity mandates and removed the web page explaining the goals.”

Learn more about the DEI policy at State Street.

 

American Airlines

• Action: Reduced/removed DEI from 10K
• Date: 2/28/2025
• Story: “In American Airlines’ 2024 10-K, the company didn’t include a section on DEI – it had DEI sections in each of the four prior years.” (source)

 

JetBlue

• Action: Reduced/removed DEI from 10K
• Date: 2/28/2025
• Story: “JetBlue also did not have any statements on DEI hiring policies in their most recent annual reports, but did include such statements in its 2023 10-Ks.” (source)

 

United Airlines

• Action: Reduced/removed DEI from 10K
• Date: 2/28/2025
• Story: “United Airlines had a similar shift. In its most recent annual report, there are no mentions of “diversity, equity and inclusion. Last year, in the same report, United provided statistics on the percentage of women and underrepresented minorities in its workforce. The company provided similar statistics in 2022, 2021, and 2020.”
  (source)

 

GSK

• Action: Removed certain DEI policies
• Date: 2/27/2025
• Story: British drugmaker GSK will no longer set diversity targets. GSK also removed its DEI page (it now redirects to a new “Inclusion” page).
  (source)

 

Paramount

• Action: Removed certain DEI policies
• Date: 2/27/2025
• Story: In a memo, Paramount stated it will no longer set numerical hiring goals for race, ethnicity, sex, or gender. This marks a shift away from its previous DEI commitments. The company has also ceased collecting demographic data from U.S. job applicants unless legally required, a significant policy reversal.

Learn more about Paramount’s DEI program.

 

BlackRock

• Action: Altered DEI language and focus
• Date: 2/26/2025
• Story: BlackRock has removed DEI references from its annual report but still has an active DEI web page and DEI team (source).

Learn more about BlackRock’s DEI policy.

 

Bank of America

• Action: Altered DEI language and focus
• Date: 2/26/2025
• Story: Bank of America has scrapped hiring and interviewing diversity goals that were previously emphasized (source).

Learn more about B of A’s DEI policy.

 

Citigroup

• Action: Dismantled DEI department
• Date: 2/20/2025
• Story: Jane Fraser, CEO of Citigroup, sent a memo to employees on Thursday titled “Colleague Engagement Update.” The memo included three actions the bank will take to end its DEI team, policies, and programs. (source)

Learn more about Citi’s now-defunct DEI policy.

 
View the Corporate DEI Tracker:

• Access the full report
• View a free sample

 

PepsiCo

• Action: Changed DEI stance due to legal challenges
• Date: 2/20/2025
• Story: “On February 20, Robby Starbuck shared on X a list of actions that PepsiCo plans to take in regard to its DEI policy.  To summarize: PepsiCo will no longer have a DEI team, program, or policy.” (source)

Learn more about PepsiCo’s DEI policy.

 

Coca-Cola

• Action: Changed DEI stance due to legal challenges
• Date: 2/20/2025
• Story: “The company “will adhere to the administration’s directive, according to a person familiar with the matter who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.” (source)

Learn more about Coca-Cola’s DEI policy.

 

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.

 

Walgreens

• Action: Altered DEI language and focus
• Date: 1/31/2025
• Story: “In late January 2025, Walgreens Boots Alliance deleted six DEI-related web pages, virtually scrubbing DEI from its corporate website.”

Learn more about Walgreen’s reduced DEI program.

 

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.

 

Target

• Action: Removed certain DEI policies
• Date: 1/24/2025
• Story: In a press release titled, “Target’s Belonging at the Bullseye Strategy, the company outlined five ways it would be reducing its DEI policy. (source)

See Also: 5 Reasons Everyone Is Unhappy With Target’s DEI Stance

 

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: 

• Companies Sticking With DEI
• Report: Companies Facing DEI Lawsuits

 

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)

 

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

 

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)

 

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)

See Also: Assessing Lowe’s’ Stance On DEI

 

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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See Also: Disney Makes 3 DEI Cuts |Companies Defending DEI | Every Business Leaving San Francisco (2020-2023) | Notable Companies Leaving Chicago | CEOs Stepping Down | Fortune 500 Return To Office Policies

 

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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