JPMorgan Chase & Co. is pressing pause on workforce expansion, encouraging its managers to resist hiring unless absolutely necessary, as it leans heavily into artificial intelligence (AI) to drive operational efficiency. The move signals a strategic shift in how the banking giant plans to manage headcount amid rapid technological advancements and a tightening focus on cost control.

The announcement was made by Jeremy Barnum, JPMorgan’s Chief Financial Officer, during an investor meeting in New York on Monday, according to a report from Business Insider. Barnum revealed that although the company hired around 60,000 people over the last five years—representing a 23% workforce increase—this trajectory is now set to slow dramatically.

“We’re asking people to resist head count growth where possible and increase their focus on efficiency,” Barnum told investors, highlighting that artificial intelligence will play a key role in reshaping the company’s staffing strategy.

Barnum indicated that divisions such as account services, processing, and fraud could see staffing reductions of up to 10% as AI systems begin to take over more operational and repetitive tasks. However, he also made it clear that JPMorgan would continue to invest in areas where headcount is directly linked to revenue growth, ensuring no compromise on safety, soundness, or strategic priorities.

“It should go without saying that we’ll never compromise on safety and soundness and we’ll continue to hire and invest in the high-certainty areas where there is a link between adding employees and growth revenue,” Barnum added.

Marianne Lake, CEO of Consumer and Community Banking at JPMorgan, echoed this sentiment and expressed optimism about the transformative potential of AI. “I would take the over on this projection and bet that we will deliver more,” she said during the same meeting, implying that the efficiency gains from AI adoption may exceed initial expectations.

Barnum also emphasised that future hires will be strategic in nature—focusing primarily on bankers and financial advisors in high-impact roles. He hinted that these roles will be office-based, aligning with recent remarks from JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who has been vocal in his criticism of remote work.

“You can’t learn working in your basement,” Dimon told employees at a recent town hall, reinforcing the bank’s pro-office stance.

Dimon also commented during the investor session that “attrition is your friend,” signalling the bank’s view that a natural thinning of the workforce could support broader efficiency goals. “We could be far more efficient, and we should always be thinking that way,” he said. “I think reducing bureaucracy literally will reduce cancer,” he added, using stark language to drive home his point about the need to eliminate inefficiencies.

JPMorgan’s cost discipline and technological investment strategy comes at a time when the bank continues to outperform expectations. In April, the company reported first-quarter earnings of $5.07 per share on revenue of $46.01 billion, exceeding analyst projections. Net profit rose 9% to $14.64 billion, underscoring the bank’s strong financial performance.