DEI-related job postings in the tech industry dropped by 44% during 2023, an apparent sign of waning focus on ideologically-based hiring.
A CNBC report which noted that prominent tech companies, such as Google and Meta (formerly Facebook), had dramatically reduced the number of advertised positions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Additionally, the report reveals that certain tech companies have also reduced the proportion of their budget dedicated to DEI positions, some doing so by as much as ninety percent.
It is possible that these statistics point to a weariness with DEI within the tech industry. Even so, it is also possible that these statistics indicate another phenomenon entirely. Outkick notes that there was an “explosion of political activism in far left companies after 2016 and 2020.” Considering these circumstances, another possible reason for the reduction in DEI postings is that these jobs have already been filled during these election-year outbursts and the associated ideological tenets of DEI have already been put into effect. In this case, it would be reasonable to reduce the scope of DEI offerings and their associated budget.
Additionally, there appears to be a growing opposition to DEI alongside tech in other industries, such as the legal profession. After facing pressure from groups opposed to DEI, along with public officials, law firms are beginning to eliminate DEI-related fellowships and relax, or remove, policies geared toward favoring acceptance of particular minority applicants.
If the report is, indeed, a sign that DEI is on its way out in the tech industry, it would represent yet another area in American public life which is beginning to throw off the shackles of the diversity ideology.