Amazon has removed references to diversity and inclusion from its most recent annual report, marking the latest shift in the company’s approach to these policies. The change comes after Amazon halted some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in December.
The prior annual report included a mention of “inclusion and diversity” in a section titled “Human Capital,” but the latest filing omits this language. Instead, the revised report states that the company relies on “numerous and evolving initiatives to implement our objective” without specifying what that objective is.
Amazon has been making changes to its DEI policies since President Donald Trump returned to office. Other tech companies, including Google and Meta, have also removed references to diversity and inclusion from their annual reports.
The company’s shift away from DEI comes as it pursues a massive investment in artificial intelligence, with CEO Andy Jassy calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Amazon plans to boost its capital expenditures to $100 billion in 2025 with a focus on AI.
However, not all companies are following suit. Some, like Costco and Apple, have rejected proposals to report on the risks of their DEI policies to their stock price. The CEOs of Pinterest, JPMorgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs have indicated they plan to stand by their DEI policies despite the backlash against them.
Amazon’s decision is significant given its large employee base – over 1.5 million employees as of December 31. In recent years, the company had pledged to double the number of Black employees in senior leadership roles and hire more Black people as corporate employees in the US.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/07/amazon-scrubs-dei-mention-from-its-annual-report.html