USA 
United Kingdom
Workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are increasingly under scrutiny as American workers’ views grow more polarized, according to new Pew Research Center data.
The findings, which include comparisons to early 2023 data, reveal a noticeable rise in skepticism among certain demographics and political groups, even as support for DEI remains strong in other quarters.
Decline in positive perceptions
The share of workers who see DEI as "mainly a good thing" has dropped from 56% in February 2023 to 52% in October 2024.
Meanwhile, those viewing DEI as "mainly a bad thing" rose by five percentage points to 21%. Around 26% of workers now say DEI is neither good nor bad, reflecting a growing sense of neutrality or indifference.
Key shifts include:
Republicans: Among Republican workers, the share viewing DEI as a bad thing increased sharply, from 30% in 2023 to 42% in 2024.
Men: The proportion of employed men who see DEI negatively grew from 23% to 29%, with fewer seeing it as a good thing (down from 50% to 44%).
Asian workers: Support among asian employees has declined significantly, with only 57% now saying DEI is positive, compared to 72% in 2023.
By contrast, opinions among black and white workers have remained relatively stable, though the share of white workers who view DEI negatively rose from 21% to 27%.
Attention on DEI in the workplace
Perceptions of how much focus workplaces give to DEI have also shifted. While 52% of workers believe their organization pays the right amount of attention to DEI - a consistent figure since 2023 - more now think their workplace overemphasizes it. The share saying “too much attention” rose from 14% to 19%, outpacing the 12% who say too little attention is given to it.
Demographics show notable trends:
Republicans and Republican-leaners: The proportion saying their company overemphasizes DEI grew from 24% to 29%.
Democrats: A smaller share (10%) now believes their workplace overemphasizes DEI, up from 6% in 2023.
Broader public opinions on DEI’s impact
A separate survey of all Americans (not just workers) shows that DEI practices are widely seen as beneficial for marginalized groups, including black, hispanic, and asian men and women, as well as white women. However, 36% of Americans believe DEI efforts hurt white men, compared to only 14% who think they help.
White adults: Nearly half (47%) believe DEI initiatives harm White men, significantly more than other racial groups.
Political divides: Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say DEI practices harm all groups, with a 37-point gap in perceptions of harm to White men (56% vs. 19%).
DEI polarization persists
The findings reveal a growing polarization around workplace DEI efforts, driven by demographic and political differences.
Debates over the role and strategic effectiveness of DEI continue to intensify, while employers try to meet the challenge of balancing those opposing opinions while attempting to create inclusive workplace environments.
