From the Albany Times-Union:

Diversity job openings fell nearly 60% after the coronavirus. Then came the Black Lives Matter protests.
Jena McGregor
The Washington Post
July 15, 2020

American companies cut back sharply on hiring for jobs related to diversity and inclusion when the coronavirus pandemic struck in mid-March, with openings falling twice as fast as for other listings, according to data from one of the country’s biggest career sites.

Postings for job titles such as “chief diversity officer,” “diversity and inclusion recruiter” or “D&I program manager” fell nearly 60% between early March and early June, according to the careers site Glassdoor, which plans to publish the report Wednesday. That’s a sharper drop than for overall human resources jobs, which fell 49%, or job openings overall, which fell 28%.

But as corporate America offered new commitments to work for inclusion amid the national reckoning on racial injustice that erupted after the killing of George Floyd in police custody, the same category of job openings rebounded. D&I postings rose 50% in June on Glassdoor, the largest percentage increase over a four-week period since January 2016, though they are still well below their March peak. …

The sharp decline in hiring after the pandemic struck followed recent growth in diversity and inclusion jobs – as employers came under increasing pressure to advance the number of women and racial minorities in their ranks. But it bolsters concerns that diversity initiatives are often undervalued or cut when the economy worsens.

“Prior to the recent resurgence, this was still a deeply undervalued role,” said Nicole Sanchez, chief executive of Vaya Consulting, which focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion issues. “How am I supposed to believe that the thing you said was dispensable just weeks ago is suddenly the most important thing you’re doing?”

Let me guess: by hiring Ms. Sanchez’s consulting firm?

Corporate inquiries for her consulting work, she said, are up 1,500% from a year ago. “It’s a hockey stick if I’ve ever seen one,” she said.