What difference will New York’s minimum wage increase make for workers and business owners?

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The minimum wage in New York has increased by 50 cents, now reaching $15.50 an hour in our area.

For full-time employees, the additional 50 cents per hour amounts to about $1,000 a year before taxes. However, the question remains: how much will this really help people?

At Strombolis, a typical Thursday saw employees cooking, cleaning, and running orders. All of them earn more than the minimum wage. However, thousands of other workers in the area do not. This is the first time since 2016 that New York has raised its minimum wage from $15 to $15.50 an hour.

Cameron Ellington commented on the increase, saying, “On 40 hours a week it’d be $20 on the paycheck, not much difference. But how many employees actually make minimum wage nowadays? I don’t know that answer, but I wouldn’t assume that it’s going to affect many businesses.”

David Bantle, owner of Stromboli’s for over 30 years, shared his perspective. Bantle noted that while prices have risen over time, wages have not kept pace. He believes profit margins should ideally be higher as a result.

Bantle remarked, “I expect a lot out of employees, we train them to do a lot of different things. And I think maybe even just working here, we would rather have less employees working harder to share more money. You know, maybe then too many people on too many staff. But, I don’t think a 50 cent increase should bother any business owners.”

Bantle also mentioned that the number of employees a business keeps on staff typically correlates with their sales volume, suggesting that a small wage increase shouldn’t be a significant burden.

At E Suki, the first person you meet is Mialany Montale, who serves as both a server and host. Montale believes that paying employees above the minimum wage is the right thing to do.

She shares that she is sometimes asked to perform tasks outside her job description. Despite the wage increase, Montale feels many people will still struggle to make ends meet.

“I feel like it shouldn’t be by the cents, more by the dollars because it doesn’t make any difference,” Montale said. “Like I’ve had wage increase from a dollar and it still doesn’t do much, after taxes you get like, what, an extra $30 on your paycheck? And that’s really about it.”

Montale also mentions that receiving pay above the standard rate makes her feel more valued as a worker.

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