Last updated on Feb 15, 2024
By Aliya Couillard, News Editor
The last time the New York City Metropolitan Area saw a wage increase was in 2019 when the wage went from $13.50 to $15 an hour.
Starting on Jan. 1, 2024, the minimum wage in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County went from $15 to $16 an hour. The metropolitan area isn’t the only area to see a wage increase, as the rest of the state went up to $15.
Students on campus seem to be happy to see the minimum wage increase.
“I am glad that New York is raising the minimum wage by a dollar,” senior education major Jill Meaney shared. “It’s a step towards addressing the higher living cost and it can help workers make ends meet more comfortably.”
Junior education and psychology major Yanelia Fernandez expressed similar opinions and brought up additional views.
“It’s definitely good because I think that minimum wage in the country should be enough so that all individuals can live sustainably in their life,” Fernandez voiced. “I feel like there’s this conception that education is the only route to success. I feel like there are some individuals who aren’t cut out for school and all that, and I don’t think there should be such a negative perspective on people working, say, as a manager at a supermarket because that [job is] very important, as we need those grocers to do their jobs so people can get food. So, I feel like when they’re slowly increasing the minimum wage so [that] every time it’s closer and closer to actually living sustainably in whatever state that an individual resides in is a step further to kind of take away these biases of what’s a good job and what’s not a good job.”
Even though there was an overall feeling of contentment from students, Meaney brought up a contrasting perspective on the wage increase.
“I can see how other citizens can understand the intent of the minimum wage increase differently and be concerned about the potential ripple effects on businesses and the overall cost of living in New York,” she expressed.
Although New York’s minimum wage is on the higher end compared to most U.S. states, it’s not the highest. Areas in Washington state have minimum wages as high as $20 an hour.
Fernandez believes that the minimum wage is still too low for New York.
“$16 an hour, if you are working full time, I don’t know the exact number, but I know New York rent, and the average rent anywhere in [say] Brooklyn is around $2000 a month – I know $16 an hour is not enough if you work full time in the month to pay that, so making that amount is not enough to live in New York,” Fernandez said. “Until it is at the point where you can live comfortably and have what I think [are] human rights–having health care, having accessibility to good schools, having all those things–and you are making a living to support that, then that is when I think the minimum wage will be at a good amount.”
Meaney thinks similarly to Fernandez about whether the minimum wage is too low or not, as housing is quite expensive in the metropolitan area.
“I think it really depends on the people who are taking these jobs and where they decide to live because Long Island is very expensive to live on,” Meaney said.
Fernandez continued to share her insights on the current wage number, this time through her 0wn experience getting paid minimum wage as a college student.
“Honestly, minimum wage right now limits college students from an opportunity of having future financial growth because it’s very difficult to save,” she said. “Let’s say, by the time you graduate college, you want to be able to buy a place or have the amount of a down payment to have a place or something along those lines, that is almost impossible with just minimum wage, and I feel like that is something that should be more attainable overall in the country. Having property is what allows generational wealth, and I feel like that should start as early as possible, which is really difficult to do with just $16 an hour.”
Both Meaney and Fernadez have worked jobs that pay minimum wage. Although the minimum wage may not be where they’d like it to be, they do think they may benefit from it.
“Another dollar is helpful,” Fernandez voiced. “I think, yes, in a micro way, it will benefit me. I don’t think it’s going to impact me a crazy amount, but I think certainly any more money is helpful.”
Meaney looks towards the future for possible benefit.
“Maybe down the road, I can benefit from the wage increase, especially if it continues this pattern of increasing.”
And that pattern is very likely to continue, as the New York City Metropolitan Area minimum wage is set to grow to $17 by 2026.
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