By JPMorgan Chase
Expanding on the success of the firm’s virtual call center model in Detroit, Michigan, the Baltimore launch provides opportunity for career growth, and financial wellness for local residents from underserved neighborhoods
October 20, 2023 (Baltimore, MD) – On Friday, JPMorgan Chase announced its ongoing commitment to advancing long-term, inclusive growth in Baltimore with a new virtual call center team in Baltimore, its second in the U.S. This effort is part of broader initiative to expand business investments that help create new jobs and promote career growth opportunities.
Working with the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) JPMorgan Chase has hired 40 Baltimore based customer service specialists and leaders. These employees will build relationships with Chase customers over the phone and help them manage their financial accounts. While the roles are virtual, the teams will meet regularly at the Parks & People Foundation and the Chase Mondawmin Community Branch for training and face-to-face meetings.
These full time home-based roles will help provide opportunities for career advancement, financial wellness and tuition assistance for local residents from underserved neighborhoods. These employees will be paid no less than $22.50/hour and receive an annual benefits package including healthcare worth about $16,000.
The firm is actively expanding across lines of business in Baltimore with more than 175 employees, 16 Greater Baltimore branches and 35 branches expected by 2026.
“There is so much talent in communities across Baltimore and throughout the country that are too often overlooked,” said Peter Scher, Vice Chairman of JPMorgan Chase. “Working with local civic leaders and community partners, companies can implement more intentional hiring efforts and tap into this talent pool to improve their business, create genuine opportunity and support their communities.”
Expanding on the success of the firm’s first virtual call center in Detroit, Michigan the Baltimore cohort is the first of several as the firm plans to grow this team and keep hiring in collaboration with MOED and other local organizations.
“JPMorgan Chase is a valued partner in providing career opportunities for the residents of Baltimore City. The recent introduction of the virtual call center team brings with it exciting employment opportunities for career seekers in our community. Baltimore City is home to a wealth of talent! The Mayor’s Office of Employment Development’s commitment to positioning our residents to fill these pivotal roles remains steadfast, aligning with our mission to deliver economic justice to the city,” emphasized MacKenzie Garvin Esq., Director of the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development. “This partnership marks yet another crucial stride towards cultivating an inclusive and equitable workforce within Baltimore City, delivering economic justice and prioritizing local hiring. We are thrilled to grow our partnership with JPMorgan Chase.”
The idea of a virtual call center was developed by Chase Operations leaders as a way to expand the availability of customer service careers to communities where the firm knows talent exists, but the opportunity hasn’t been available without a traditional call center site.
“The JPMorgan Chase virtual call center model isn’t just a case study in equitable job creation—it’s also a case study in creative thinking,” said Maryland Governor Wes Moore. “This kind of innovative thinking is at the center of what our administration strives to achieve. And moving in partnership, we will bring more good-paying jobs with world-class benefits to West Baltimore.”
In 2022 Chase piloted a virtual call center in Detroit which has exceeded expectations. Since the program launched the firm has hired more than 90 customer service specialists in Michigan.
Expanding Business Growth and Opportunity
JPMorgan Chase’s expansion into the Charm City also supports the firm’s efforts in providing a second chance to people with criminal backgrounds. Through support for policy change and the firm’s hiring practices, JPMorgan Chase is helping remove barriers to employment for people with criminal records and helping them find meaningful career opportunities and access greater economic opportunity. As a result, some Baltimore residents with criminal records have been among those finding new career paths at the firm.
“In choosing the City of Baltimore for this expansion, JPMorgan Chase has recognized how much our residents and our city have to offer,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “Through this partnership, our residents, particularly those in historically underserved and disinvested in neighborhoods, will now have yet another avenue to secure good jobs and help grow the renaissance that we’re building here in Baltimore. I want to extend my thanks to the JPMorgan Chase team for their partnership in this effort, their enthusiasm about helping to grow our city, and our shared commitment to overcoming the decades of disinvestment too many of our neighborhoods have faced.”
In 2022, the firm announcement a $20 million five-year commitment to benefit underserved Baltimore communities.
To date more than $8 million in philanthropic capital has been committed to multiple nonprofits to create a continuum of wealth building for underrepresented real estate developers in West Baltimore, purchase and renovate hundreds of abandoned homes, and to expand access to capital and allow small businesses to find programs offering support.
JPMorgan Chase employs more than 2,000 people in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia across all of its lines of business.
Additional Comments from Leaders across Baltimore
“Baltimore is home to a rich collection of diverse talent that’s ready and capable of contributing to our city’s position as a hub for economic activity,” said Brian D. Pieninck, President and CEO of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst). “Businesses, like JPMorgan Chase and CareFirst, along with anchor institutions are committed to serving as an engine for economic and civic change. By working in collaboration, we are well on our way to helping our region reach its full potential as a place where economic opportunity is available for all.”
“We are delighted to partner with BGE, CareFirst, and JPMorgan Chase to help unlock some of the economic potential of Mondawmin. A community rich in history and character, with a too often untapped pool of talent, it has been isolated socially and economically for generations and we hope to play some part in changing that,” said Tim Regan, President and CEO of Whiting-Turner Contracting.
“Among underemployed adults and students from middle school through college, there is a deep yearning for educational and training opportunities that lead to rewarding, sustainable careers,” said Carim Khouzami, president & CEO of Baltimore Gas and Electric. “Unfortunately, the desire often outstrips the opportunities available. It’s incumbent on all of us in the business community to ensure there are family supporting career opportunities accessible to the those that need them most. An investment in building our workforce is an investment in the future of Baltimore.”
About JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America (“U.S.”), with operations worldwide. JPMorgan Chase had $3.9 trillion in assets and $317 billion in stockholders’ equity as of September 30, 2023. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com
