A deal to raise minimum wages in New York would keep the state near the top of the list of places with the highest base pay for low-paid workers, but the raise amount is disappointing some labor activists who had hoped for a bigger bump.
The minimum hourly wage would rise to $17 in New York City and some of its suburbs and $16 in the rest of the state by 2026 under an agreement between Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders. That's an increase from the current rate of $15 in the city and $14.20 upstate.
Future increases would then be tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, a measurement of inflation.
Under the agreement announced late Thursday, New Yorkers would be guaranteed an hourly wage well above the federal minimum of $7.25. They would still earn less than workers in California, Washington and Hawaii, which will all most likely have minimum wages of $18 or higher by 2028, according to the National Employment Law Project.
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