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Job hunting is a challenge for everyone, but it’s especially difficult for those with a record. This article gives you resources to assist you with finding jobs for felons in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh is the county seat of Allegheny County and has a population of over 300,000 people, with the metropolitan area having over 2.3 million residents. That’s a lot of potential competition!
If you are searching for a job in Pittsburgh, then we can help. Our team has researched and contacted over 1,000 companies to get you the scoop on hiring practices and how likely they are to hire former felons. The rest of this article will focus on Pittsburgh area businesses and give you some of the largest and most likely companies that hire felons in Pittsburgh.
Our website also has a lot of other great information to help you succeed and relaunch your life positively. We know life is hard for former felons because we have records too.
Jobs that hire felons in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in Pennsylvania and was known for many decades for its steel and manufacturing industries. Today it has businesses in the petroleum, computing, electronics, and the automotive industry. It is also very culturally diverse and well-known for its museums, medical centers, parks, and research centers. It covers a large area and has a lot of opportunities for jobs. The city itself is located at the juncture of three rivers: the Allegheny, the Monongahela, and the Ohio.
If you’re looking for work in the area, check out our great search tool below. It will allow you to focus your search by using the different fields (job type, industry, etc.) to help you find openings for jobs that hire felons in Pittsburgh.
Top companies that hire felons in Pittsburgh
If you’ve been struggling to find long-term work that fits your education and experience level, then you may want to try focusing on entry-level jobs. They always have the lowest hiring requirements and have high turnover, so are likely to have fewer barriers for someone with a record.
Temporary work through a staffing agency is another way to quickly get a job, because their openings often ask for very little in terms of education or experience. Take a look at employment agency jobs for felons in Pittsburgh to broaden your range of opportunities to explore.
In the section below, we have compiled a list of businesses most likely to hire a justice-involved individual below. Click on the company name to go directly to its section.
The first thing you need to have ready for your application is a well-written and up-to-date resume. Our website has an excellent and comprehensive guide to making a resume for people with a record.
Giant Eagle
Giant Eagle is a major supermarket chain with stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, and Maryland. They have over 450 stores with 216 supermarkets (Giant Eagle, Giant Eagle Express, Market District, Market District Express) and 264 fuel station/convenience stores (GetGo) with over $9 billion in sales. They are always looking for good workers!
Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Sales Team Member
- Cashier
- Call Center Representative
- Warehouse Selector
- Prepared Foods Team Member
US Steel
United States Steel is an integrated steel producer with manufacturing locations in the US and Central Europe. They are headquartered in Pittsburgh and are one of the largest steel producers in the world and the second-largest in the US. They have a variety of entry-level type positions in the Pittsburgh area.
Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Maintenance Technician Mechanical
- Tech
- Shift Manager
- Carman
- Maintenance Technician Electrical
Port Authority
Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) is a county-owned agency in Pittsburgh. It is the second-largest public transit agency in Pennsylvania with bus, light rail, and cable railway systems that cover Allegheny County and into Beaver, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. They have many types of jobs and a lot of positions require little experience or education.
Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Signalman
- Bus Driver Operator
- Infrastructure Support Technician
- Body Repair person
- Material Control Specialist
Eat’n Park
Eat’n Park is a restaurant chain with 59 restaurants in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. They are based in Homestead, Pennsylvania and known for its Smiley Cookies and their motto, “the place for smiles.” As with most restaurant chains, they have a lot of entry-level positions.
Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Server
- Restaurant Management Trainee
- Cook
- Cookie Factory Mixer
- Greeter
PPG
PPG Industries, Inc. is a large global supplier of paints, coatings, and specialty materials. They are a Fortune 500 company and are headquartered in Pittsburgh. PPG has operations in more than 70 countries around the world and are the largest coatings company in the world. They have a number of good entry-level opportunities.
Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Store Associate
- Segment Manager
- Distribution Warehouse Associate
- Warehouse Worker
- Customer Service Representative
Eaton
Eaton Corporation is a power management company made with over 80,000 employees and operates in more than 175 countries. From their website, “Our energy-efficient products and services help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more reliably, efficiently, safely and sustainably.” They are a big company and always have lots of job openings.
Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Machine Operator
- Manufacturing Technician
- Shipping/Receiving Clerk
- Assembler
- Packer
Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. is a major telecommunications company and provider of mobile telephone services in the U.S. The sheer size of Verizon guarantees that at any given time they have locations in the Pittsburgh area with a lot of jobs available, especially in their sales and mobile retail areas.
Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Customer Service Representative
- Retail Sales Representative
- Retail Sales Consultant
- Inside Sales Representative
- Analyst, Supply Chain
- Verizon Sales Consultant
Sheetz
Sheetz, Inc. is a chain of convenience stores and coffee shops with locations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina. The 24×7 stores sell custom food, beverages, and convenience items, and nearly all of them sell gas Some locations are full-scale truck stops with showers and a laundromat. They are headquartered in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and they employ a lot of people in the Pittsburgh area.
Some promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Store Team Member
- Supervisor
- Petroleum Transport Driver
- Terminal Administrative Assistant
- Assistant Manager – Kitchen
The Big Idea Bookstore
What’s better than books? Working in a bookstore with an attached cafe! A quieter atmosphere with a few busy periods, this retailer will give you some options in your job search and potentially a savvy way back into the job market.
Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Customer Service Representative
- Stocker
- Server
- Food Prepper
Hyatt
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, also known as Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, is a multinational hospitality company that manages and franchises luxury and business hotels, resorts, and vacation properties. They have numerous entry-level maintenance, support, and service jobs.
Promising entry-level jobs for former felons:
- Front Desk Agent
- Housekeeping
- Cleaner
- Cook
- Restaurant Greeter
Trucking jobs for felons in Pittsburgh
Truck driving is always an in-demand job and the industry, as a whole, has a track record of hiring former offenders. Many companies provide training for new drivers, as well, so experience isn’t a big factor in hiring.
If you’re looking for trucking jobs for felons in Pittsburgh, here are some companies to check out:
- Old Dominion Freight Line
- Ground Logistics and Transportation Inc.
- Pittsburgh Trucking Services
- Roadway Auto Transport Inc.
- JB Hunt Transport
Warehouse jobs for felons in Pittsburgh
Warehouses can provide a lot of job opportunities such as loaders, handlers, forklift operators, drivers, and even administrative roles. You can also find the same types of jobs at any company with a warehouse or shipping department.
Here are some of the top warehouse jobs for felons in Pittsburgh:
- Pittsburgh Distribution Company
- Allegheny Warehouse And Distribution
- Source Interlink Distribution
- Mattress Firm Warehouse
- Amazon
Temp agency jobs for felons in Pittsburgh
Staffing agencies are a good way to get hired fast and a great source of local jobs overall. You can find shift work or full-time temporary positions that will carry you through your immediate need for work.
Below are some places to look for temp agency jobs for felons in Pittsburgh:
- Kelly Services
- Keystone Staffing Solutions, LLC
- Synergy Staffing
- Lingo Staffing
- Peopleshare
Second chance and job training programs for felons in Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania is a Ban the Box state. This means that employers can no longer ask prospective employees about their criminal history and are expected to look at a candidate’s qualifications.
There are second chance and job training programs for felons in Pittsburgh to assist former felons. These programs provide a variety of resources for legal aid, medical, financial, education and more.
Resources for former felons in Pittsburgh:
- Renewal
- Mission: Renewal, Inc. is proud of its growing position in the field of drug and alcohol addiction rehabilitation. Helping people rebuild their lives is our future and the core of our mission and vision, all guiding how Renewal, Inc. approaches its programs and services, and the operations that support them.
- Services offered: Education, Employment, Family, Housing, Mental Health
- Divine Intervention Ministries
- Mission: Divine Intervention Ministries is dedicated to providing currently and formerly incarcerated adults and at-risk youth with coordinated resources that will connect them to supportive services and job training opportunities focusing on restoring and realizing their maximum potential spiritually, physically, and economically.
- Services offered: Education, Spiritual Services
- U-Belong Inc.
- Mission: To provide participants with the skills and resources necessary to prevent them from reverting back to the same negative, and self-destructive behavior that led to their adjudicated status. To guarantee that upon exiting the program each participant has a fair and realistic opportunity for caring for themselves as well as their families. The mission is to not just make them productive members of society but successful individuals positively impacting our community.
- Services offered: Education, Employment, Family, Financial, Mental Health
- In His Eyes Outreach
- Mission: In His Eyes Outreach works to support and educate women coming out of prison. To work as an advocate to bridge the gap between inside the prison and home. Guide women to the proper resources that will enable them a smoother transition back into the community. To offer them a trusting and reliable support person/mentor. Through God’s word we will help build self esteem and offer hope.
- Services offered: Education, Employment, Housing
- WestCare
- Mission: WestCare devotes our best collective and individual efforts toward “uplifting the human spirit” by consistently improving, expanding and strengthening the quality, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of everything we do in building for the future.
- Services offered: Addiction and Recovery, Housing, Medical, Mental Health
