Company DEI index sees 65% drop in participation from Fortune 500

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Individuals maintain flags exterior the US Supreme Courtroom on December 4, 2024 in Washington, DC, throughout oral argument on whether or not states can ban sure gender transition medical remedies for younger folks.

Roberto Schmidt | AFP | Getty Pictures

New analysis from the LGBTQ+ group Human Rights Marketing campaign confirmed a drastic drop in Fortune 500 firms prepared to publicly disclose their variety, fairness and inclusion practices.

The HRC’s 2026 Company Equality Index noticed a 65% drop in participation this yr, falling from 377 Fortune 500 firms in 2025 to only 131 firms in 2026. HRC famous lots of the firms that dropped out maintain federal contracts.

“Our analysis reveals the power and the pressure of this second on LGBTQ+ employees, customers and the businesses that rely on us,” HRC President Kelley Robinson stated in an announcement.

Of the businesses that participated — which incorporates greater than the Fortune 500 — 534 earned a rating of 100, representing almost 6 million U.S. workers, in accordance with HRC.

HRC’s index launched in 2002 and charges firms primarily based on their social accountability and fairness within the office.

Over the previous two years, the anti-DEI motion, championed by the White Home, started to reframe the index, making it a conservative goal.

The Company Equality Index has more and more seen extra firms exiting its orbit, starting with Tractor Provide and together with huge names like Walmart, Ford and Lowe’s. Walmart, the most important U.S. retailer and grocer, stated it had conversations with conservative activist Robby Starbuck, who has publicly advocated for a shift away from DEI, earlier than the corporate pulled out.

It was a major change from years prior, when firms like Ford and Walmart issued public statements supporting DEI and touting their achievements of their workplaces.

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