Public resource
Second Chance Employers — Multnomah County
Employers and programs in the Portland metro area with explicit commitments to hiring people with criminal records, plus key legal protections under Portland's ban-the-box ordinance.
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Oregon and Portland have strong legal protections for people with criminal records in the hiring process. Knowing these protections — and which employers actively recruit people with records — is essential for case managers working with justice-involved clients.
Legal Protections:
- Oregon state law prohibits employers from asking about criminal history before the interview stage.
- Portland's ban-the-box ordinance (applies to employers with 6+ employees, at least one in Portland) prohibits asking about criminal history before a conditional job offer. Employers cannot consider certain categories of convictions at all.
- Marijuana convictions from before legalization can be expunged in Oregon.
Employers with Documented Second-Chance Commitments:
Dave's Killer Bread (Milwaukie, OR — 10 min from Portland) Founded by someone with a 15-year prison history, Dave's Killer Bread is perhaps the most visible second-chance employer in Oregon. Approximately one-third of employees have felony convictions. Primarily hires for bakery production roles at their Milwaukie facility. Apply directly at daveskillerbread.com/careers or through All Star Labor & Staffing.
Burgerville PNW fast-casual chain with an explicit second-chance hiring program. Hires for hourly restaurant roles across Portland metro. Apply at burgerville.com/careers.
Central City Concern Large nonprofit social services employer with a documented commitment to second-chance hiring. Also runs the Central City Staffing Trainee Program placing justice-involved clients in their own operations. See the Central City Concern resource for full details.
Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette Explicit second-chance employer. Hires for retail, warehouse, and donation processing roles across Portland metro. Apply at goodwillcolumbia.org.
Programs that help justice-involved job seekers:
SE Works — Justice-Involved Adults Track WorkSource Portland Metro's SE Works operator has a specific employment track for formerly incarcerated individuals. Free coaching, job placement, and connections to second-chance employers. 6401 SE Foster Rd and 8044 SE Harold St.
All Star Labor & Staffing Portland-headquartered staffing agency that places workers with various backgrounds, including justice-involved. Multiple Oregon offices. allstarlabor.com
Oregon Voices Advocacy and reentry support organization connecting justice-involved Oregonians to employment and housing resources. oregonvoices.org
Case manager notes: Portland's ban-the-box ordinance is stronger than the state law — most employers with any Portland presence are covered. Clients should know they do NOT have to disclose a record on a job application in Portland, only after a conditional offer. The PDX Legal Resource Guide (pdxlrg.org) has an excellent current page on resources for people with felony records.
Eligibility
Anyone with a criminal record seeking employment. Oregon ban-the-box law applies to most employers statewide; Portland ordinance covers any employer with 6+ employees. All employers and programs listed are open to applicants with criminal histories.