NYC Lawmakers Target Nation’s Highest Minimum Wage as Restaurants Warn of Job Cuts

A bill introduced in the New York City Council would make the city’s minimum wage the highest in the country, though it would still be below what some consider to be a living wage, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday (March 12).

The bill, which was introduced Tuesday (March 10), would set the hourly minimum wage for employers with more than 500 employees at $30 by 2030 and for those with fewer than 500 employees at $29 by 2031, according to the website of the New York City Council.

New York City’s minimum wage is currently $17 per hour, according to the WSJ report.

Other cities whose minimum wages are among the country’s highest include Seattle, at $21.30 per hour, and Los Angeles, whose minimum wage for hotel and airport workers will rise from $20.32 to $30 by 2028, the report said.

If the New York City bill becomes law, the minimum wage would still fall short of what the Economic Policy Institute calculates to be a living wage in the city. While the organization says a single person needs an annual income of $83,262 for a living wage in the New York metro area, the bill’s minimum wage would provide $62,400, per the report.

One business owner interviewed by the WSJ said a wage increase would make it impossible for people to open new restaurants. Another, who owns five restaurants and a cocktail lounge, said he would have to cut a dozen jobs and require customers to place orders on their phones. A third business owner said the higher minimum wage would be fair and would help employers retain workers.

New York State Restaurant Association President Melissa Fleischut said in the article: “We feel like we’re at a tipping point with consumers. There’s only so much you can charge for a slice of pizza or a cheeseburger.”

City Council Member Carmen N. De La Rosa said in a post on X that the bill would ensure “the pockets of NYC’s workforce match the reality of today’s economy and rate of inflation.”

A separate New York City law requiring companies to offer grocery delivery workers the same minimum pay that restaurant delivery workers are eligible for, went into effect in January.