EMMANUEL DUNAND
A whopping 66 percent pay rise is in the pipeline for some minimum-wage workers in New York. Workers in New York City will be the first to benefit, as they will have to be paid a minimum of $15 per hour by the end of 2018, up from $9 currently (and $10.50 for fast-food workers). New York is only the second state to agree on the $15 mark, following California. Businesses with 10 or fewer employees will have longer—about four years—to implement the increase in the city, and Long Island and Westchester County reportedly won’t be required to reach the $15 figure for up to six years. In areas north of Westchester, pay rises will be more modest, only hitting $12.50 by 2021. “We’re leaders in economic justice,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said after the budget deal was announced late Thursday.