Trump’s war on ‘illegal DEI’ leaves diversity industry in ruins, data shows

The plight of corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) jobs is only getting worse as the Trump administration’s crackdown takes hold, new employment research shows.

As of September, job postings for diversity roles have plunged roughly 50% from pre-pandemic levels, falling to about 1,500 this year, according to Revelio Labs data reported by Bloomberg. By comparison, DEI-related postings nearly quadrupled in 2022, reaching approximately 10,000.

When President Donald Trump took office in January, DEI job postings were about 6% above 2019 levels, according to the outlet.

Since taking office, Trump has led a major effort to eliminate identity-based considerations in employment. He signed an executive order in January directing all federal agencies to “enforce our long-standing civil-rights laws and to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.”

The Federal Communications Commission has also leveraged merger approval processes to pressure companies to terminate discriminatory DEI policies. Financial regulators have also scaled back or canceled exams on environmental, social, and governance issues emphasized during the Biden administration, which critics say were used to push liberal priorities on private companies.

In recent months, major companies like T-Mobile, Paramount, Amazon, and Walmart have eliminated or cut back DEI policies and departments, aligning with the broader political and regulatory shifts.

Not only are DEI roles disappearing, but individuals with DEI-related experience are increasingly viewed as a liability, prompting many job seekers to remove the DEI label from résumés or reconsider their career paths, according to Bloomberg.

Thirty-eight percent of DEI employees leaving their roles moved into positions within the same company that were not DEI-focused, 55% transitioned to non-DEI roles at new organizations, and a small minority secured new DEI positions elsewhere, according to Revelio Labs.

Still, concerns remain that DEI roles may simply be transferred to other corporate departments, such as human resources.

Among former DEI professionals, 16% have moved into HR operations, 7.9% into education program coordinator roles, 7.1% into public affairs officer positions and 7% into academic research, Revelio Labs found.

“While the number of dedicated DEI roles is shrinking, the expertise developed in these positions is not being lost. Instead, it is being redirected into other parts of the organization, suggesting that while the DEI label may be fading, the underlying work of building equitable and inclusive environments continues to find new avenues to persist,” Revelio Labs wrote in its September report.

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