Some states are responding to the nationwide push for a higher minimum wage.
As the push for a higher minimum wage rages across the U.S., two of the country’s most populous states are moving to become the first to raise the statewide minimum wage to $15 per hour.
According to a report from Market Watch, California and New York lawmakers have both passed movements to raise state minimum wages. In California, lawmakers have passed a pay floor of $15 an hour for large businesses by 2022 and for all firms by the following year. As for New York, officials have announced that a $15 an hour minimum wage will be put into effect in New York City by 2019, and the rest of the state will experience the increase in the years following.
The wage increases in New York and California are expected to increase debates over the risks and benefits that may result from the wage increase. Policy makers are divided in their opinions on the wage increase. Some see the increase as a tool to address the current wage gap, while others warn against the possible effects – such as job loss – that may result.
