LI's Minimum Wage Set To Rise To $16/Per Hour On January 1: Hochul

LONG ISLAND, NY — With an eye toward closing the gap between wages for Long Island residents and the escalating cost of living, Gov. Kathy Hochul said that beginning on Jan. 1, the minimum wage for Long Island workers will increase to $16 per hour.

Currently, the minimum wage on Long Island is $15 per hour.

On Monday, Hochul announced the start of a statewide public awareness effort to ensure that New Yorkers earning minimum wage receive the state’s "historic" minimum wage increase when it takes effect next year.

On January 1, per an agreement between Hochul and the New York State legislature, New York’s minimum wage will also increase to $16-per-hour in New York City and Westchester — and $15-per-hour for the rest of the state, she said.

Raising New York's minimum wage to keep pace with inflation will benefit hundreds of thousands of minimum-wage workers across the state, Hochul said.

"On January 1, we are lifting New York’s minimum wage to help hard-working New Yorkers keep up with rising costs and continue supporting their families," Hochul said. “If you are a minimum-wage worker and you don’t see this increase in your paycheck next year, I urge you to file a wage complaint with the Department of Labor to make sure that you are getting the wage increase you deserve."

As part of the fiscal year 2024 budget, Hochul secured an agreement to increase New York’s minimum wage through 2026 and index it to inflation beginning in 2027. After the initial increase, the minimum wage will increase by $0.50 in 2025 and 2026. In 2027, the minimum wage will increase annually at a rate determined by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the northeast region, "the best regional measure of inflation," Hochul said.

In addition, he New York State Department of Labor will begin a public awareness effort to remind New Yorkers about the minimum wage increase and encourage minimum-wage workers to report missing wages. That effort will include digital outreach via social media, newsletters, and e-mail communications and direct outreach to distribute informational flyers with partnering organizations, she said.

Minimum wage earners who do not see the increase reflected in their paychecks can file a wage complaint on the New York State Department of Labor’s website or by calling 833-910-4378, Hochul said.