DEI Rollbacks Are Slowing Down, According To A New Study
The pace of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy rollbacks at the nation’s largest corporations is slowing, despite high-profile political and corporate pushback, a new study has found.
The findings follow a renewed anti-DEI wave, triggered by President Donald Trump’s January 20 executive order ending all federal diversity initiatives. Since then, major companies like Meta, Google, JP Morgan, and Target have scaled back or altered their DEI policies.
But according to a new Gravity Research report, while the initial response was swift, the momentum behind corporate DEI dismantling has since tapered off.
DEI rollbacks slowing down
Anti-DEI rhetoric began during the 2024 presidential election, but it escalated when Trump became president. His executive orders aimed at ending “illegal DEI” in the federal government and the private sector were the leading cause for large corporations to reconsider their DEI policies, according to Gravity Research.
Gravity Research found that the majority of policy shifts (80%) of Fortune 1000 companies and sports leagues between June 2024 and May 2025 occurred after Trump’s inauguration, and 41% of companies have explicitly cited Trump’s executive orders on DEI.
However, the rate has slowed down drastically after the post-inauguration push, according to Joanna Piacenza, vice president of thought leadership with Gravity Research, which advises companies on social, political, and reputational risks, as reported by USA Today.
Other DEI changes
The study found that corporations are modifying, but not abandoning, DEI policies, as 80% of companies continue to uphold commitments to “inclusion,” “belonging,” or “accessibility.” Additionally, corporations are facing growing pressure from pro-DEI activists who have organized boycotts against companies protesting DEI rollbacks.
DEI terms changed to names like “inclusion and belonging,” and the chief diversity officer title was changed to “vice president of talent strategy” or “head of people engagement” after Trump’s inauguration. Of all the companies making changes to DEI efforts, at least 48% revised or eliminated hiring diversity goals.
Image: Amy Elting
