By Anita Hamilton

President Donald Trump's move to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across the federal government has led to a broader rethinking of such efforts across corporate America. On Wednesday, Google joined in.

Alphabet-owned Google told employees in an email that it would no longer set specific hiring targets aimed at recruiting workers from underrepresented groups, The Wall Street Journal reported.

It's the latest big company to revise its diversity policies following Trump's election and his subsequent executive order ending DEI both in the federal workforce as well as in federal contracting and spending. Other companies that have made similar moves include Meta, Ford, McDonald's, and Walmart.

The city of Baltimore and other groups filed suit Monday over the administration's new policy in U.S. District Court in Baltimore on the grounds that Congress has spending powers, among other claims.

Google is a government contractor across the federal, state, and local government, including providing cloud solutions for the military and national intelligence. Trump's memorandum on DEI included a provision requiring "simple and unmistakable affirmation that contractors will not engage in illegal discrimination, including illegal DEI."

"We're committed to creating a workplace where all our employees can succeed and have equal opportunities, and over the last year we've been reviewing our programs designed to help us get there," a Google spokesperson told Barron's.

In its most recent diversity annual report, Google reported that women comprised 34% of its U.S. workforce, up from 29% in 2014. By comparison, women make up 47% of all U.S. employees, according to Labor Department statistics. Google workers who identified as Black or Hispanic/Latinx, rose from 2.4% and 4.5%, respectively, in 2014, to 5.7% and 7.5%, in 2024. By comparison, Black workers comprise 12% of the U.S. workforce and Latino workers are 19.4% of the total.

Apple is a notable holdout in resisting the trend to curtail inclusive hiring practices. Shareholders are poised to vote on a proposal to end DEI programs at a Feb. 25 meeting.

Write to Anita Hamilton at anita.hamilton@barrons.com

This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

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February 05, 2025 17:38 ET (22:38 GMT)

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