Although this should have been on their radar already because PwC got sued by America First Legal over it two years ago, conservative muckraking site Daily Wire has just now discovered a PwC program for students who identify as a member of a traditionally underrepresented group in the professional services industry (Black or Latino/Hispanic).
In “Consulting Giant Bans Whites And Asians From Career Advancement Seminar” Spencer Lindquist writes for DW:
International accounting giant PwC is hosting a career advancement conference for college students that discriminates against white and Asian applicants on the basis of their race.
The program, called the Career Preview, is a three-day experience set to take place this summer in Orlando that imposes race-based selection criteria on applicants. Selected candidates will have the cost of their travel and accommodations covered by PwC.
PwC’s Career Preview is, according to the firm’s website, “a three-day experience designed for high-performing individuals who are in the freshman year of a 4-year degree program, the sophomore year of a five-year degree program, or are currently attending community college and meet the eligibility requirements.”
Although this specific program requires applicants to be part of underrepresented groups, the Destination CPA program that is also an expenses-paid, three-day event in Orlando is open to everyone.
DW continues:
The company could run the risk of facing a legal challenge over its race-based selection criteria, Heritage Foundation Legal Fellow GianCarlo Canaparo told The Daily Wire.
“With respect to applicants, an employer cannot ‘limit, segregate, or classify’ them in a way that ‘deprives or tends to deprive’ anyone of an employment opportunity. The question here is not whether PwC is classifying its applicants — it is — but whether these programs increase the chances of getting hired permanently,” Canaparo explained.
“PwC will say, we only ‘encourage’ certain groups to apply, but all are welcome,” he added.“That’s a technical nicety, not a get-out-of-jail-free card. It will provoke a fact-finding investigation into PwC’s true intentions.”
And with President Donald Trump back in office, the company could be taking on significant risk by embracing race-based selection policies.
Canaparo told DW that President Trump’s recent executive order calling for the end of DEI programs in the government applies to PwC as well since they’re a federal contractor. We’re not lawyers so we shant opine on that. What we can do is share tidbits from PwC’s most recent Purpose and Inclusion Report [PDF] with some stats on racial makeup of current PwC employees.
For 2023, we see 51% of neophyte new hires identify as white. The Latino and Black categories have stayed steady going back to 2021.
And the overall workforce of 45,785 people:
Let’s throw in partners and principals too while we’re here:
So 2% of PwC partners/principals are Black, 3% Latino or Hispanic.
PwC dropped diversity targets early last year after the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling in summer of 2023 caught them heat from America First Legal. As the FY23 transparency report came out before that, this is what the firm listed as diversity goals in that report:
- To attract a workforce in the US that better reflects the diverse makeup of US higher education enrollment: 56.5% women, 20.9% Latino/Hispanic and 14.7% Black
- To aspire toward 35% Black and Latino/Hispanic representation among our experienced hires, entry level hires and interns [at 16% in 2023]
- To aspire toward our overall partnership being made up of 50% women and 35% racially/ethnically diverse individuals
Setting aside Daily Wire‘s beef with this single PwC program, the accounting profession as a whole has been taking heat for its predominantly monochrome makeup — especially at the partner level — for years, hence programs like these meant to reach the underrepresented population.
Our question: why is PwC the one getting all the heat?
We get it Adrienne, you’re an activist moonlighting on going concern. This sad narrative and non-stop plethora of bleeding heart articles has led to the death of many of online media because a vast majority of everyday folks are sick of hearing about this trash. Stick to what this sites true irreverent mission is.
Oof no, I’m an old school Mises libertarian and capitalist. I need to reevaluate my tone if you’re getting bleeding heart vibes, yikes. Appreciate the feedback.
While I do believe, like many, that the profession has a diversity problem, I’ve always maintained that these programs are bullshit lip service, the issue is too systemic for virtue signaling initiatives to solve. Firms yanking these programs at first sign of pushback that could jeopardize govt contracts only proves it.
We just thought it was funny how PwC is getting the brunt of the criticism from conservative outlets. That’s the story, not “wahhhh muh diversity!”
Fair enough. I agree all of the Big 4 and smaller firms all do the same crap.