The Waiting Workforce
One in three Americans has some kind of arrest or conviction record.
JPMorganChase is helping remove barriers to employment for people with criminal records. Together, we can help make second chances happen.The Waiting Workforce
JPMorganChase is helping remove barriers to employment for people with criminal records. Together, we can help make second chances happen.
Even after they’ve fulfilled their justice system obligations, many still face significant barriers to finding meaningful employment and accessing well-paying jobs.
The complex paperwork needed to clear their records keeps millions of people from supporting their families and communities—and it costs the US up to $87 billion a year in economic growth.
To create awareness for this opportunity, we commissioned an art installation using the same legal paperwork to create 38 statues representing each state that had yet to enact Clean Slate legislation as of 2024. The installation appeared in Independence Mall in Philadelphia in April 2024 before moving to our Madison Ave. headquarters in New York City. We chose the site in front of Philadelphia’s historic Independence Hall to recognize Pennsylvania as the first state to enact Clean Slate legislation. JPMorganChase commissioned art collective The Glue Society to develop the installation.
Clean Slate legislation establishes a framework for automatically sealing or clearing eligible criminal records, opening opportunities for more people to enter the workforce. It was first enacted in the state of Pennsylvania.
One in three Americans has a criminal record. Even after fulfilling their justice system obligations, they often face significant barriers to employment and economic opportunity, costing billions to the U.S. economy annually. Through policy advocacy and our own hiring practices, we’re helping to remove some of those barriers.
We see the power in second chances every day. Nearly 10% of JPMorganChase U.S. hires over the past 5 years had a prior record with no bearing on their roles. That’s because we’re leveling the playing field for new hires by “banning the box” – an effort that removes the requirement to disclose criminal records on job applications, and supporting legislation that help more people access meaningful careers in financial services.
- 50companies in the Second Chance Business Coalition support lowering barriers to work
- 20%potential earnings rise on average for people when they start with a clean slate
- 82%of managers report that the value Second Chance employees contribute is as high as, or higher than, that of workers without records
- 10%nearly 10% of JPMorganChase U.S. hires over the past 5 years had a prior record with no bearing on their roles
