Target Cut DEI, Now 1,800 Employees Are Out Of Work

Target announced Thursday that it will cut 1,800 corporate jobs as the retailer struggles to reignite growth after almost four years of slumping sales and ongoing protests tied to its rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

According to CNBC, the cuts were disclosed in a note from incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke to employees at the company’s Minneapolis headquarters. The reduction includes roughly 1,000 layoffs and about 800 unfilled roles that will be permanently eliminated, an approximately 8% cut to the retailer’s corporate workforce, according to the note. Employees affected by the layoffs will be notified on Tuesday. Notably, this marks Target’s first major round of layoffs in a decade.

“The truth is, the complexity we’ve created over time has been holding us back,” Fiddelke penned in the note, according to the Associated Press. “Too many layers and overlapping work have slowed decisions, making it harder to bring ideas to life.”

Fiddelke noted that more details would come on Tuesday and asked Minneapolis-based employees to work from home next week. The announcement comes as the company prepares for a leadership change. Target named Fiddelke—currently chief operating officer and former chief financial officer—as the successor to longtime CEO Brian Cornell in August. He is set to take over the role on Feb. 1, 2026. 

Target was once a big champion of DEI programs. 

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In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, Target and Walmart emerged as leading corporate advocates for racial equity. According to CNN, Target pledged to increase its Black workforce by 20% over three years and to spend $2 billion with Black-owned businesses by 2025, including introducing products from 500 Black-owned vendors.

But the company reversed course in January after Trump signed executive orders banning DEI initiatives. Target announced it would end its three-year DEI goals, stop reporting to external groups such as the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, and discontinue programs promoting products from Black- and minority-owned businesses, among other initiatives.

The retreat has impacted sales. 

Since February, the retailer’s sales have been slumping amid backlash over its decision to retreat. The reversal sparked a 24-hour economic blackout on Feb. 28, led by The People’s Union USA, an activist organization protesting the corporate rollback. The consequences were stark. Target experienced an 11% drop in in-store customer traffic on Feb. 28. Online engagement also declined, with website visitors falling 9% from 5.2 million to 4.7 million, and app usage dropping 14% from 4.2 million to 3.5 million compared to the figures for February 14.

The company’s stock also reflected the downturn. According to The Seattle Medium, Target’s stock fell by approximately $27.27 per share by the end of February, wiping out roughly $12.4 billion in market value.

In March, the company continued to face fallout. As previously reported, boycotts organized by Black activist groups and faith leaders—including Atlanta pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant—intensified after Target’s January decision. The protests triggered a steady decline in store traffic and sales throughout the spring and summer.

For the week beginning March 17, Target’s foot traffic fell 5.7% year over year, following a 7.1% drop the prior week and marking the eighth consecutive week of declines for the company. Per USA Today, Target reported its second-quarter earnings on Aug. 20, posting net sales of $25.2 billion, down 0.9% from the prior year. Comparable sales fell 1.9%, while operating income declined 19.4% to $1.3 billion, “19.4% lower than a year ago,” the outlet noted.

Some users on X applauded the success of the ongoing boycotts, claiming it was the reason behind Target’s upcoming layoffs. Several others expressed concern for the people on the receiving end of the impending cut, given the rocky job market.

“Boycotts work,” one user wrote. “More unemployment coming in Trump’s wrecked economy,” another added. “10 months in & it just keeps getting worse, as it always does when the country puts a Republican in the white house.”

SEE MORE: 

Target Boycotts Increase As Company Suffers Backlash Over Anti-DEI Policy

Target CEO Calls For Meeting With Al Sharpton

Target Cut DEI, Faced A Boycott, Now 1,800 Employees Are Out Of Work  was originally published on newsone.com