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16 of the Best Ways for Finding Jobs for Felons in Newark in 2023

By Last update July 31, 2022
Newark New Jersey cityscape

Searching for a new job can be tough, but it’s even tougher if you have a record. We hope to assist you in this article by giving you some information to help you with finding jobs for felons in Newark, New Jersey. It’s the biggest city in the state, with a population of over 300,000 people. 

Looking for a  job in Newark? Then you are reading the right article! We’ve contacted over 1,000 companies to determine what their hiring practices are for former offenders and look at their history of actually doing so. Our team includes people who have been incarcerated so we can provide better assistance with our real-life experience that relates to what you’re going through.

Later in this article, we will look at some specific businesses in the area that are the largest and most likely companies that hire felons in Newark. If you want resources beyond this state, other sections of our website provide a lot of great information on how to get a job, be successful, and overcome legal challenges you face as a justice-involved person. 

Jobs that hire felons in Newark

Newark New Jersey downtown

Newark is one of the nation’s largest air, shipping, and rail hubs. It is home to Newark Liberty International Airport, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the Newark Museum for art, and the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart that was built in 1898. They also have many lakes and parks with abundant cherry trees. They are also home to the headquarters for a number of major corporations, higher education institutions, and hospitals. There are a lot of job opportunities in the area! 

You definitely need to take a look at our excellent job search tool to help focus your job search. Use the different fields below (job type, industry, etc.) to focus your search for jobs that hire felons in Newark. 

Top companies that hire felons in Newark

Most people tend to jump right into the job search and go for wonderful jobs that fit their level of experience and the vast skill sets they may have. Unfortunately, this does not work for people with criminal records. If you’re not having success finding a job, then try focusing on entry-level ones. Entry-level positions have the lowest requirements and are more likely to accept people with criminal records due to need. 

You can also look at staffing agencies, because they have lots of jobs that often require little to no education or experience. There are many employment agency jobs for felons in Newark. They are also a good source of  immediate work.

Below is a list of companies that are most likely to hire felons in Newark below. Click on the company name to go directly to its section, or just continue to see all of them. 

DoorDash

Becton Dickinson

CVS

AT and T

QuickChek

Wakefern Food

New Jersey Transit

RWJBarnabas Health

Prosegur

JPMorgan Chase and Co.

One of the first things you need to do for your job hunt  is put together a good and up-to-date resume. Our website has an excellent and comprehensive guide to making a resume for people with a record.

DoorDash

DoorDash per their website, “…is a technology company that connects people with the best of their neighborhoods … We enable local businesses to meet consumers’ needs of ease and convenience, and, in turn, generate new ways for people to earn, work, and live.” They are in most cities and towns in the US, providing deliveries for tons of restaurants and grocery stores. DoorDash is known to be felon-friendly, and they are always looking for good workers!

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Site Manager
  • Restaurant Delivery
  • Food Courier
  • Shift Lead

Becton Dickinson

Becton, Dickinson and Company (also known as BD) is a medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents in multiple countries. They also provide consulting and analytics services and are a Fortune 500 company. They have a variety of entry-level type positions in the Newark area.

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Customer Service Representative
  • Area Sales Consultant
  • Warehouse Associate
  • Customer Acquisition
  • Customer Account Specialist

CVS

CVS Health is a huge healthcare company and CVS Pharmacy is a subsidiary of CVS Health, and is currently the largest pharmacy chain in the US with over 9,600 locations. CVS sells prescription drugs and general merchandise including over-the-counter drugs, beauty products, cosmetics, photo finishing services, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards, and convenience foods. They have a lot of job openings for entry level positions.

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Retail Store Associate
  • Cashier
  • Warehouse Packaging
  • Order Selector
  • Production Operator

AT and T

AT&T, Inc. is the world’s largest telecommunications company and the largest provider of mobile telephone services in the U.S. The sheer size of AT&T guarantees that at any given time they will have a lot of jobs available, especially in their sales and mobile retail areas.

Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Integrated Sales Support Specialist
  • Retail Sales Consultant
  • Field Sales Representative
  • AT&T Sales Representative
  • AT&T Sales Associate

QuickChek

QuickChek Corp. is a convenience store chain headquartered in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey. They have over 150 stores in New Jersey and New York and include pharmacies, gas stations, and liquor departments. They have a number of good entry-level opportunities.

Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Team Member
  • Night Associate
  • Gas Attendant
  • Food service Associate
  • Car Hop

Wakefern Food

Wakefern Food Corp. is a large supermarket chain and is also a retailer cooperative group of supermarkets. They operate over 300 supermarkets under the brand ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, Dearborn Market, Gourmet Garage, and Fairway Market in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Virginia.

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Inventory Clerk
  • Food Service Clerk
  • Cashier
  • Bakery
  • Bagger

New Jersey Transit

New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ Transit or NJT) is a state-owned public transportation system serving New Jersey, and portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. They have buses, light rail trains, and commuter rail services that transport people and cargo to major commercial and employment centers including New York and Philadelphia. They cover over 5,300 square miles, and the NJT is the largest statewide public transit system in the US.

Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Assistant Signal Maintainer
  • Bus Serviceperson
  • Communications Maintainer
  • Trackman
  • Machinist

RWJBarnabas Health

RWJBarnabas Health is a very large independent healthcare provider network in New Jersey. They have many locations and their member providers include academic centers, acute care facilities, and research hospitals. If you are looking for something in health care industry, then they are the biggest in the area. They employ over 30,000 people in the Newark area.

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Patient Services Rep
  • General Mechanic
  • Receiving Clerk
  • Orderly
  • Housekeeping Worker

Prosegur

Prosegur is a security company that specializes in protecting data centers, currently over 40 data centers in the US and over a hundred facilities abroad. They also provide security services to other industries including retail, transportation, utilities, logistics, property management, construction, healthcare, and industrial. Prosegur will hire a felon whose record is over 7 years old.

Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Aviation Security Officers
  • Wheelchair Escorts
  • Retail Security Officers
  • Security Officers for Data Center
  • Aviation Baggage Handler

JPMorgan Chase and Co.

JP Morgan is one of the largest banks in the US. Serving millions of households, mortgages, and over 1.6 million global customers. Banking industry jobs may be more of a challenge to get, but JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a lot of different jobs that could give you an opportunity.

Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:

  • Customer Service
  • Client Relations
  • Product Control
  • Warehouse Associate
  • Service Coordinator/Scheduler

Trucking jobs for felons in Newark

Do you like driving? If so, then the truck driving industry is a great source of in-demand jobs and has a solid history of hiring former felons. A lot of companies even provide training for starting a career as a trucker.

If you’re looking for trucking jobs for felons in Newark, here are some companies to check out:

  • Landair
  • Dean Foods
  • Salson Logistics
  • Riverside Transport
  • Pinnacle Freight Lines

Warehouse jobs for felons in Newark

If you are not afraid of some physical labor, then warehouses can provide a lot of job opportunities. Many companies have warehouse jobs, any company with a warehouse or shipping department.

Here are some of the top warehouse jobs for felons in Newark:

  • Farmland Fresh Dairies LLC
  • Home Depot
  • HelloFresh
  • HMSHost at Newark Liberty International Airport
  • Swissport International Ltd.

Temp agency jobs for felons in Newark

Staffing agencies are another good place to look for jobs. They always have jobs available and  can often get you get hired fast. Below are some places to look for temp agency jobs for felons in Newark.

Here are some of the best agencies in the area:

  • Staff Management Group
  • Randstad
  • Simple Staffing LLC
  • ProLogistix
  • Brickforce Staffing
  • Active Staffing Services

Second chance and job training programs for felons in Newark

Good news for felons in New Jersey! A Ban the Box law went into effect here in 2015. Employers with more than 15 employees can no longer ask prospective workers about their criminal history on the job application.

There is even more help available in the state for former offenders. There are second chance and job training programs for felons in Newark that provide a variety of resources to help manage everyday life.

Resources for former felons in Newark:

  • La Casa de Don Pedro
    • Mission: La Casa’s values are driven by our mission to foster self-sufficiency, empowerment, and neighborhood revitalization, and our deep-rooted history of shared experiences with our community. Recognizing the community’s adversity, we emphasize, celebrate, and nurture core values of advocacy, responsibility (civic, personal, fiscal), education, home, diversity, and creativity in a culturally sensitive and caring environment.
    • Services offered: Education, Family, Housing
  • Communities In Cooperation, Inc. Prisoner Reentry
    • Mission: At CIC, we Build and Strengthen Communities. Family & Individual Assistance Programs: Job Readiness & Employment; Utility Assistance: Reentry Services: Workshops, Classes, & Webinars: Youth Mentoring and Development Session, Life Skills; Court Ordered Anger Management Sessions plus more!
    • Services offered: Education, Family
  • Transition Professionals
    • Mission: Transition Professionals is committed to reducing recidivism by empowering individuals to successfully transition from incarceration to communities.
    • Services offered: Education, Medical, Mental Health
  • I’m FREE (Females Reentering Empowering Each Other) 
    • Mission: Created with trauma-impacted women’s specific needs in mind, I’m FREE (Females Reentering Empowering Each Other) helps incarcerated women transition back into society by providing coaching, training and care services.
    • Services offered: Education, Family
  • New Jersey Reentry Program
    • Mission: The New Jersey Reentry Program operates under the rubric of the First Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey. While our primary targets are NJ STEP students who are transitioning either to Rutgers University or community college, we also reach out to students who prefer to enter the workforce before continuing their college education.
    • Services offered: Education, Housing
Garland Brewster headshot

After a successful 25-year career in the IT industry, Garland is now a Reentry Educator with The Relaunchpad. He has significant experience writing documents (resumes, LinkedIn profiles, etc.) and advising job seekers. Garland shares his experience overcoming legal challenges to help others in similar circumstances move forward and find happiness and prosperity.