Tech giants, like Google and Meta, have slashed diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in 2023 despite their commitments following the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and riots.
According to data provided by job site Indeed, cited by CNBC, DEI-related job postings in 2023 have declined 44%.
In November 2023, the last full month for which data was available, DEI job postings dropped 23% year over year.
Layoffs at Google and Meta also included employees who held leadership roles in Black employee resource groups (ERGs), CNBC said.
Devika Brij, CEO of Brij the Gap Consulting, which works with tech companies’ DEI efforts, told CNBC that some companies have cut nearly 90% of their DEI budget by midyear 2023.
“When George Floyd began to become the topic of conversations, companies and executives doubled down on their commitments and here we are only a couple years later, and folks are looking for opportunities to cut those teams,” Brij said.
Melinda Briana Epler, the founder and CEO of Empovia, said that the cuts in DEI in 2023 were “stark” compared to previous years.
“Whenever there is an economic downturn in tech, some of the first budgets that are cut are in DEI, but I don’t think we’ve seen such stark contrast as this year,” Epler told CNBC.
The layoffs come just three years following the boom in DEI initiatives that came during the Black Lives Matter protests and riots.
At this time, tech companies made a commitment to the promotion of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
In a June 2020 letter to Google employees, CEO Sundar Pichai vocally committed to improving support for Black workers.
“The events of the past few weeks reflect deep structural challenges,” Pichai wrote. “We’ll work closely with our Black community to develop initiatives and product ideas that support long-term solutions- and we’ll keep you updated.”
In a similar June 2020 letter to Meta employees, COO Sheryl Sandberg committed to having 30% more people of color, including 30% more Black people in leadership by 2025.
“Achieving racial justice and equity is a goal all of us share – and a goal that will take real work to achieve,” Sandberg wrote.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Meta spokesperson said that the tech giant remains committed to their DEI initiatives.
“Our commitment to DEI remains at the center of who we are as a company,” a Meta spokesperson said. “We continue to intentionally design equitable and fair practices to drive progress across our people, product, policy and partnerships pillars.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, an Amazon spokesperson echoed Meta’s sentiments and said that their “DEI priorities have not changed.”
“Our DEI priorities have not changed, and we remain committed to building a more inclusive and diverse Amazon,” Margaret Callahan, a spokesperson for Amazon, said.
In a statement, Google said that their “workforce reductions” were to “sharpen” their focus.
“Our workforce reductions and company-wide efforts to sharpen our focus span the breadth of our business,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“To be absolutely clear, our commitment to this work has not changed and we invested in many new programs and partnerships this year,” the Google spokesperson said.
Big Tech Layoffs in 2023
Several tech giants have tightened their workforce in 2023 after over-hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meta, Microsoft Corp., Amazon and Google-parent Alphabet Inc. have also cut thousands of jobs throughout the year.
Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, cut over 10,000 jobs in May 2023.
“As I’ve talked about efficiency this year, I’ve said that part of our work will involve removing jobs — and that will be in service of both building a leaner, more technical company and improving our business performance to enable our long-term vision,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said.
Microsoft announced in Jan. 2023 that it would cut 10,000 positions.
The move, which took place at the end of the third quarter, was “in response to macroeconomic conditions and changing customer priorities,” according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Amazon said in early January that it would lay off more than 18,000 employees in what would be its largest workforce reduction to date.
Google parent company Alphabet Inc. announced that it cut 12,000 jobs to weather the current economy.
Google CEO Pichai said the cuts affected teams globally, including recruiting and some corporate functions as well as some engineering and products teams.
Fox News’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.
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