Why Identification Cards are Critical in Today’s Economic Times

The unemployment rate broke 8 percent recently and we have learned from history that our crime rates climb in direct correlation with unemployment. Due to this, businesses and organizations must protect their doors along with their reputation. By simply adding ID cards and requiring employees to wear and display their identification cards while on the job can greatly discourage crime and enhance a company's perception to their customers.

The FBI's Uniform Crime Reports show that in the US from 1970 to 1993 crime rose with the unemployment rate. Later the same report shows that from 1992 to 1996 as the employment rate rose again there was a dramatic drop in crime particularly in poverty areas. There are different reports that show that a 2% drop in unemployment would be equivalent to a 30% drop in assaults, 14% drop in rape and robbery and a 9% decline in burglary. With these statistics all based on a drop of unemployment, one can only assume the reverse is true as well. Since we have had a nearly 3% increase in unemployment in the past twelve months that would indicate based on these statistics a 13.5% increase in burglaries alone just in the past year.

The United States Insolvency Service stated that there was a 56% increase in insolvent businesses in the first quarter of this year over the first quarter of 2008. That's nearly 5,000 companies that have become illiquid in just the first quarter of 2009. Adding to this there were over 120,000 personal and corporate bankruptcies filed last month (May 2009). Needless to say there are a lot of newly unemployed and desperate individuals in every community.

In this new environment, businesses and organizations need to protect both their property and their reputation. Requiring employee's to wear ID cards is an effective and simple way to increase your security with identification. ID cards can add to the perception from your customers when employees are out of the office by adding a sense of comfort, especially those whose businesses you are pursuing.

Barcodes, biometric scanners, RFID chips and many other security features can be added to enhance the security of your ID card solution. Technologies like these are continually becoming more affordable thanks to mass production and today's speed of technology. Even without these more costly solutions, simply by requiring employees and visitors to wear ID cards in your place of business can greatly add to your company's security. Today, thanks to the Internet, there are solutions available for both small and large companies through online security services that offer ID cards as their primary business. Companies like FullIdentity.com have also integrated services like background checks, RFID, holograms and whatever type of technology you want to implement into the security of your identification card solution.

business has been hard enough in this economy when people are spending less and watching for every opportunity to save a few dollars. As business tends to tighten, we have to be sure to take the very best care of each and every customer. After all, sales are a bit tougher to attain when everyone is watching their bottom line. One thing businesses can take care of during times like these is their reputation. Protecting a business's reputation by not allowing criminals or other's to impersonate or infiltrate your organization is critical. ID cards can be a huge factor in the verification of who someone says they are and add to a company's credibility.