Survey Reveals DEI Discrimination and Financial Struggles for U.S. Job Seekers

A newly released special edition of the Freedom Economy Index (FEI) for June 2024 has unveiled significant challenges faced by center to center-right employees in the modern workplace, including ideological suppression and financial instability. Conducted by RedBalloon and PublicSquare, the survey polled over 100,000 job seekers and revealed that many are forced to hide their personal beliefs and face discrimination in hiring practices driven by Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Respondents shared personal anecdotes highlighting the suppression of their ideological expressions at work. One respondent noted, "I cannot wear a beautiful cross necklace my husband got me," while another was instructed to remove an American Flag pin from their jacket.

Furthermore, there is widespread concern that artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to filter out resumes that do not align with DEI profiles. Some respondents shared that they only received interview callbacks when they did not disclose their race or sex, while others expressed sympathy for conservatives facing discrimination, regardless of their own political beliefs.

The special edition survey, a collaborative effort between RedBalloon and PublicSquare, typically surveys a smaller group of 80,000 small business owners. This edition, however, expanded to include a larger pool of job seekers from RedBalloon's national database. The findings indicate that nearly half of U.S. job seekers are in a worse financial position than they were a year ago, with DEI-related hiring discrimination being notably severe in California.

Alarmingly, 7 out of 10 job seekers expressed a willingness to accept lower pay in exchange for a merit-driven, positive workplace environment, rather than a higher-paying, DEI-focused workplace. Over 75% of respondents believe that AI is being used to screen out resumes that do not meet DEI quotas, a practice criticized by RedBalloon CEO Andrew Crapuchettes as detrimental to a fair job market. "This discrimination has no place in a free and fair job market," Crapuchettes stated.

Michael Seifert, CEO of PublicSquare, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the historical importance of American workplaces in driving the global economy. "Abandoning all this DEI nonsense will help America reassert our legacy in the global marketplace," Seifert added.

The survey's key findings reveal the extent of financial struggles among job seekers:

• 74.7% reported their financial situation is "somewhat" or "much" worse than a year ago.
• 1 in 5 job seekers indicated their finances would last less than two weeks if they lost their job today.
• 37% have had to delay bill payments this year to survive.

Additionally, the survey highlighted significant concerns regarding hiring discrimination:

• Job seekers in California face more DEI-related discrimination compared to those in Texas or Florida.
• 75.4% believe AI is used to exclude resumes that do not fit DEI profiles.
• 63% are worried about workplace repercussions if their conservative or Republican affiliations are discovered.

On the topic of workplace preferences, 76.5% of respondents indicated they would prefer a lower-paying job in a merit-based, positive work environment over a higher-paying job in a DEI-focused workplace.

The survey was conducted from May 22 to May 31, sampling 949 respondents from RedBalloon’s job seeker database, with a margin of error of +/- 3% at a 95% confidence level.

PublicSquare, America's largest non-woke marketplace app, and RedBalloon, the largest woke-free job board, continue to advocate for workplaces free from divisive social mandates, aiming to connect like-minded employers and employees for a more positive work culture.