There’s a box on certain job applications that might not seem like much.

But for millions of Americans, that box can mean the difference between getting a job interview or not.

That’s because 1 in 3 American adults have a criminal record — and they may have to disclose that fact if they want a shot at a job.

Barriers like this reinforce the systemic inequalities in our country — which matters now more than ever, when COVID-19 is exacerbating deep racial and economic disparities.

One of the most effective ways to change these systemic issues — like requiring the removals of that box from job applications — is to implement better policy.

That’s why JPMorgan Chase launched the PolicyCenter.

The challenges:

Our country is currently being tested by unprecedented events.

As government, business and community leaders try to understand the best ways to move forward,

Businesses, like JPMorgan Chase, are pushing for a more equitable future.

Public policy can and will influence every facet of that future.

It can expand access to education for the people who need it most, and remove obstacles to employment.

And it can reform our criminal justice system, which disproportionately impacts people of color.

Black adults are nearly 6 times more likely to be incarcerated than white adults…

And that makes it all the more difficult for them to secure a job in their communities.

Remember that box?

Rethinking solutions:

In 2019, JPMorgan Chase’s PolicyCenter launched an effort to help clear pathways to careers for people with criminal backgrounds.

Like supporting policy that will ban that box on all job applications.

Or help people clear their eligible criminal records.

Or help those incarcerated access financial aid for education.

Doing this doesn’t just help individuals — it builds stronger communities and strengthens the economy for everyone.

Creating lasting change:

In 2019 alone, JPMorgan Chase hired 3,000 people with a criminal background.

We’re investing in community organizations across the country, connecting people with arrest or conviction histories to opportunities for jobs, education, training, or starting a small business.

And we’re not stopping there.

As the nation works to recover from COVID-19, JPMorgan Chase wants to make sure people who have long faced barriers to opportunity also benefit from the recovery.

The JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter will keep working to make progress, pushing policy that matters.