It's hard to land a bank job if you have a record. But JPMorgan Chase tells people in Chicago with criminal records: 'We're hiring.'

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is piloting an initiative in Chicago to hire people with criminal backgrounds and is throwing its weight behind public policy proposals aimed at giving ex-offenders a second chance.

The nation's largest bank by deposits has partnered with several Chicago nonprofits to mentor, train and recruit applicants who might otherwise not have considered banking because they thought their criminal records would preclude them from working at financial institutions.

Since launching the pilot a month ago, Chase said it has made nine offers for positions such as associate bankers, personal bankers and remittance processors. The recruits tended to have records