A special edition survey of the Freedom Economy Index (FEI) for June 2024 has shed light on the challenges faced by center to center-right employees in today's workplace, including the need to conceal their ideological beliefs and the impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies on hiring practices.
The survey, conducted by RedBalloon and PublicSquare, sampled 100,000 employees and job seekers from RedBalloon’s national job seeker profile database. It found that American flag bans and the necessity of 'hiding' one's ideology are common occurrences for conservative employees. Personal anecdotes revealed instances where employees had to remove patriotic symbols such as American flag pins or religious items like cross necklaces to avoid workplace repercussions.
One of the most concerning findings is the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in hiring processes. According to the survey, 75.4% of job seekers believe AI is being used to screen out resumes that do not align with preferred DEI profiles, effectively sidelining candidates who do not fit specific quotas. Verbatim responses highlight experiences of individuals who received callbacks only when they omitted racial or gender identifiers from their applications.
The survey also brought to light significant financial struggles among job seekers. Nearly 75% reported that their financial situation is worse than it was a year ago, with 20% stating their finances would last less than two weeks if they lost their jobs. Additionally, 37% have had to delay bill payments to make ends meet.
California appears to be a hotspot for DEI-related hiring discrimination, with job seekers in the state facing more challenges compared to those in Texas or Florida. The survey revealed that 63% of job seekers are worried about potential workplace repercussions if their conservative or Republican affiliations are discovered.
Despite the financial hardships, 76.5% of job seekers expressed a willingness to accept lower pay in exchange for a more merit-driven and positive workplace environment, free from the constraints of DEI-driven policies. Andrew Crapuchettes, CEO of RedBalloon, criticized the corporate focus on DEI, stating, "This discrimination has no place in a free and fair job market." He added that the emphasis on DEI is contributing to historically low worker productivity.
Michael Seifert, CEO of PublicSquare, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of returning to a merit-based workplace culture for maintaining America’s economic legacy. He stated, "Abandoning all this DEI nonsense will help America reassert our legacy in the global marketplace."
The methodology of the survey involved polling over 100,000 job seekers from RedBalloon’s database, with 949 respondents participating between May 22 and May 31. The results carry a margin of error of +/- 3% at the 95% confidence level.
