Shawdesh Desk:

Minimum wage will be going up in New York State starting January 1.

New York’s minimum wage will increase to $16-per-hour in New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, and $15-per-hour for the rest of the state.

Governor Kathy Hochul said minimum wage increases will now be indexed to rate of inflation, What does that mean? Because you can earn more money, right? But if the cost of everything from diapers to formula for new parents and the cost of sneakers and the backpacks and your eggs and your bread are all going up, you’re not getting ahead. And that’s what we’re trying to solve here. Help people get ahead. So, that’s one of the policies I want you to know about directly from me.”

As part of the 2024 Budget, the state legislature and the governor agreed to increase New York’s minimum wage through 2026 and index it to inflation beginning in 2027. After the initial increase, the minimum wage will increase by $0.50 in 2025 and 2026. In 2027, the minimum wage will increase annually at a rate determined by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Northeast Region – the best regional measure of inflation.