Dive Brief:
- Microsoft will not publish an updated version of its annual diversity and inclusion report for 2025, the company confirmed to ESG Dive on Monday.
- Instead of a “traditional report,” the company will demonstrate its D&I progress through formats like stories, insights and videos, which Microsoft believes are “more dynamic and accessible” and “show inclusion in action,” Microsoft Chief Communications Officer Frank Shaw said in an emailed statement.
- Microsoft’s decision to pass on publishing a D&I report this year comes as U.S. companies are eliminating their use of the term “DEI” and related-metrics in securities filings. S&P 500 used the term 68% less in securities filings this year compared to 2024, while 21% removed or reduced DEI metrics or targets in their filings, according to The Conference Board.
Dive Insight:
Microsoft’s decision to skip the report also comes in a year where President Donald Trump has targeted DEI efforts in the federal government and directed federal agencies to probe private sector programs. An estimated 20% of companies have scrapped their DEI programs as of July, with another 16% expected to do so by the end of 2025 and 7% expected to do so in the next four years, per a recent report.
Microsoft eliminated a pair of DEI-related roles in summer 2024 — as waves of companies rolled back related positions and divisions — though the tech giant said the roles were redundant and its diversity and inclusion commitments remained.
Shaw echoed those comments to ESG Dive Monday: “[Microsoft’s] mission and commitment to our culture and values remain unchanged: empowering every person and organization to achieve more,” he said.
The company last published its annual diversity and inclusion report in October 2024, which Microsoft called its “most global, transparent report yet” in a blog at the time. That report was the first time the company shared insights on its data center employee figures, which increased 23.9% globally and 28.9% in the U.S. in 2024. Microsoft said its population of data center employees tripled between 2020-2024.
“As businesses increasingly rely on data-driven technologies, the need for skilled professionals to manage and maintain these critical facilities has never been greater,” the 2024 report said. “We continue to use talent architecture to structure all work and roles at Microsoft, to improve the employee experience by providing more information about roles, career development opportunities, and skills aligned to the market.”
The 2024 report still lives on Microsoft’s dedicated diversity and inclusion page, along with some of the stories, videos and insights Shaw said the company will use to tell its D&I story instead of annual reports.
The software and systems provider isn’t the only tech company to steer away from DEI programs and related reporting. Google and Meta downsized their DEI teams in 2023 while Zoom laid off its DEI team last year.
