Minimum Wage Raised in New York

We kept hearing about the increase in minimum wage coming and now with the new year, the wage rise has begun.

On December 31st and January 1st, the minimum wage went up in 18 states and 20 cities, according to CNN Money. The goal of these increases was to put employees closer to the $15 per hour minimum wage, or what workers' rights refer to as "living wage."

In New York state specifically, the minimum wage for fast food workers (outside of New York City) was $10.75 per hour but rose to $11.75 per hour and will eventually hit $15 per hour by July 2021.

Other states are taking a different approach, keeping employees closer to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Congress hasn't increased that number in over a decade so the federal numbers will most likely stay the same. Then, there are states like California who are raising the minimum wage to over $13 in some cities. Vermont will also be raising minimum wage to $10.50 an hour