ID.me announced the launch of an in-person identity verification solution in partnership with Sterling Check Corp. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is the first government agency to utilize the new service, which allows individuals - even those without a mobile device or dedicated internet access? to verify their identity at retail locations across the United States. New Jersey requires identity verification to obtain unemployment benefits. During the pandemic, unemployment reached 14.8% - the high rate observed since data collection started in 1948, according to the Congressional Research Service. At the same time, the Federal Trade Commission reported identity theft tied to government benefits increased by 2,920%. Given the dual imperative to serve those in need while providing strong security, ID.me and Sterling developed in-person verification to augment digital verification options. ID.me and Sterling have been on the ground for months fine-tuning this solution with NJDOL, followed by recently completed, successful user testing. Sterling's Identity Network spans more than 650 retail facilities in neighborhoods across the U.S., offering background and identity services to a range of companies, including many of the nation's large financial institutions. Individuals benefit from having access to in-person identity verification in their local communities assisted by trained technicians. All potential unemployment claimants must verify their identity before they can receive benefits, per federal law. Verifying the identity of the person applying for benefits is required, and ID.me performs this service for NJDOL. Eligibility for benefits is determined separately. ID.me partners can purchase the new in-person identity verification offering to help expand access to secure, easy-to-use identity verification. Once an individual verifies their identity in person, they will never need to verify again. They can then use their ID.me credentials to gain access to other government and commercial services. Sterling and ID.me are collaborating on additional solutions to strengthen and speed identity verification. The two companies are incubating concepts and working with early customers to make new solutions available in the coming months.