DEI is becoming less popular with U.S. workers

Even as the political attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts ramped up last year, many people still seemed to value the importance of DEI at work. The Pew Research Center found that in early 2023, about 56% of workers believed DEI was “a good thing” for companies to embrace, though the sentiment was more prevalent among women and people of color.

But some workers now seem to feel differently about DEI. In a new Pew survey, 52% of respondents still said DEI programs were largely a positive force in the workplace, but 21% described the focus on DEI as “a bad thing,” as compared to 16% in 2023. There was also an increase in the share of workers (19%) who claimed their companies put “too much attention” on DEI, up from 14% the year prior; meanwhile, only 12% thought “too little attention” was paid to DEI, a drop from 15% at the last count.

Even among people of color, there seemed to be less enthusiasm for DEI. In 2023, very few Black workers (3%) said their employers focused too much on DEI; this year, however, 8% reported feeling that way. While 18% still believe there isn’t enough emphasis placed on DEI, there was a notable drop from 28% last year. Asian workers were also less inclined to view DEI as a good thing, and the share of workers who hold that belief decreased from 72% to 57%. Pew looked at how political affiliation shaped perspectives on DEI and found a similar shift among Democrats.

Despite these changes, on the whole, women and people of color remain the most likely to support DEI. Most respondents also maintain that DEI efforts are beneficial to Black, Hispanic, and Asian workers. The groups of workers that felt most negatively about DEI—men and those who identify as Republican—had not changed their stance in a meaningful way; if anything, they had doubled down on their beliefs.

There were fewer men who saw DEI as a positive investment and more who felt the focus on DEI was detrimental. White employees, in particular, were more likely to see DEI efforts as damaging to people like them: Forty-seven percent of white workers surveyed said DEI hurt white men, while 29% said it was harmful to white women. Over half of Republicans (56%) also said DEI negatively impacted white men.

Pew’s findings reflect a broader cultural shift that has no doubt influenced public perception of DEI in the workplace. The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action in 2023 helped fuel a growing anti-DEI movement, which has been championed by many conservatives and other figures on the political right.

Across the corporate world, companies have quietly pulled back on DEI efforts in response or, at a minimum, made changes to their programs to shield themselves from legal liability. As conservative activists like Robby Starbuck have explicitly targeted major employers for their DEI practices, leaders at a number of companies have reversed or significantly altered their diversity programs. It seems that some workers, too, might be reevaluating their stance on DEI.