N.Y. Lab. Law § 652

Current through 2024 NY Law Chapters 1-49, 52, and 61-114

Section 652 - Minimum wage

1. Statutory. Every employer shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked a wage of not less than: $4.25 on and after April 1, 11, $5.15 on and after March 31, 2000, $6.00 on and after January 1, 2005, $6.75 on and after January 1, 2006, $7.15 on and after January 1, 2007, $8.00 on and after December 31, 2013, $8.75 on and after December 31, 2014, $9.00 on and after December 31, 2015, and until December 31, 2016, or, if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors or such other wage as may be established in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(a) New York City.

(i) Large employers. Every employer of eleven or more employees shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked in the city of New York a wage of not less than: $11.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2016, $13.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2017, $15.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2018, or, if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors or such other wage as may be established in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(ii) Small employers. Every employer of ten or less employees shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked in the city of New York a wage of not less than: $10.50 per hour on and after December 31, 2016, $12.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2017, $13.50 per hour on and after December 31, 2018, $15.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2019, or, if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors or such other wage as may be established in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(b) Remainder of downstate. Every employer shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked in the counties of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester a wage not less than: $10.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2016, $11.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2017, $12.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2018, $13.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2019, $14.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2020, $15.00 per hour on and after December 31, 2021, or, if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors or such other wage as may be established in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(c) Remainder of state. Every employer shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked outside of the city of New York and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, a wage of not less than:

$9.70 on and after December 31, 2016,

$10.40 on and after December 31, 2017,

$11.10 on and after December 31, 2018,

$11.80 on and after December 31, 2019,

$12.50 on and after December 31, 2020,

and on each following December thirty-first up to and until December 31, 2022, a wage published by the commissioner on or before October first, based on the then current minimum wage increased by a percentage determined by the director of the budget in consultation with the commissioner, with the result rounded to the nearest five cents, totaling no more than fifteen dollars, where the percentage increase shall be based on indices including, but not limited to, (i) the rate of inflation for the most recent twelve month period ending June of that year based on the consumer price index for all urban consumers on a national and seasonally unadjusted basis (CPI-U), or a successor index as calculated by the United States department of labor, (ii) the rate of state personal income growth for the prior calendar year, or a successor index, published by the bureau of economic analysis of the United States department of commerce, or (iii) wage growth; or, if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors or such other wage as may be established in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(d) The rates and schedules established in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subdivision shall not be deemed to be the minimum wage under this subdivision for purposes of the calculations specified in subdivisions one and two of section five hundred twenty-seven of this chapter.

1-a. Annual minimum wage from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2026.

(a) New York city. Notwithstanding subdivision one of this section, every employer regardless of size shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked in the city of New York a wage of not less than:

$16.00 on and after January 1, 2024,

$16.50 on and after January 1, 2025,

$17.00 on and after January 1, 2026, or, if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors or such other wage as may be established in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(b) Remainder of downstate. Notwithstanding subdivision one of this section, every employer shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked in the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, a wage of not less than:

$16.00 on and after January 1, 2024,

$16.50 on and after January 1, 2025,

$17.00 on and after January 1, 2026, or, if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors or such other wage as may be established in accordance with the provisions of this article.

(c) Remainder of state. Notwithstanding subdivision one of this section, every employer shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked outside the city of New York and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, a wage of not less than:

$15.00 on and after January 1, 2024,

$15.50 on and after January 1, 2025,

$16.00 on and after January 1, 2026, or, if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors or such other wage as may be established in accordance with the provisions of this article.

1-b. Annual minimum wage increase beginning on January first, two thousand twenty-seven.

(a) New York city. On and after January first, two thousand twenty-seven, every employer regardless of size shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked in the city of New York, a wage of not less than the adjusted minimum wage rate established annually by the commissioner. Such adjusted minimum wage rate shall be determined by increasing the then current year's minimum wage rate by the rate of change in the average of the three most recent consecutive twelve-month periods between the first of August and the thirty-first of July, each over their preceding twelve-month periods published by the United States department of labor non-seasonally adjusted consumer price index for northeast region urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) or any successor index as calculated by the United States department of labor, with the result rounded to the nearest five cents.

(b) Remainder of downstate. On and after January first, two thousand twenty-seven, every employer shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked in the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester, a wage of not less than the adjusted minimum wage rate established annually by the commissioner. Such adjusted minimum wage rate shall be determined by increasing the then current year's minimum wage rate by the rate of change in the average of the three most recent consecutive twelve-month periods between the first of August and the thirty-first of July, each over their preceding twelve-month periods published by the United States department of labor non-seasonally adjusted consumer price index for the northeast region urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) or any successor index as calculated by the United States department of labor, with the result rounded to the nearest five cents.

(c) Remainder of state. On and after January first, two thousand twenty-seven, every employer shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked outside of the city of New York and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester a wage of not less than the adjusted minimum wage rate established annually by the commissioner. Such adjusted minimum wage rate shall be determined by increasing the then current year's minimum wage rate by the rate of change in the average of the three most recent consecutive twelve-month periods between the first of August and the thirty-first of July, each over their preceding twelve-month periods published by the United States department of labor non-seasonally adjusted consumer price index for northeast region urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W) or any successor index as calculated by the United States department of labor, with the result rounded to the nearest five cents.

(d) Exceptions. Effective January first, two thousand twenty-seven and thereafter, notwithstanding paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this subdivision, there shall be no increase in the minimum wage in the state for the following year if any of the following conditions are met, provided, however, that such exception shall be limited to no more than two consecutive years:

(i) the rate of change in the average of the most recent period of the first of August to the thirty-first of July over the preceding period of the first of August to the thirty-first of July published by the United States department of labor non-seasonally adjusted consumer price index for the northeast region urban wage earners and clerical workers (CPI-W), or any successor index as calculated by the United States department of labor, is negative;

(ii) the three-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted New York state unemployment rate as determined by the U-3 measure of labor underutilization for the most recent period ending the thirty-first of July as calculated by the United States department of labor rises by one-half percentage point or more relative to its low during the previous twelve months; or

(iii) seasonally adjusted, total non-farm employment for New York state in July, calculated by the United States department of labor, decreased from the seasonally adjusted, total non-farm employment for New York state in April, and seasonally adjusted, total non-farm employment for New York state in July, calculated by the United States department of labor, decreased from the seasonally adjusted, total non-farm employment for New York state in January.

(e) The commissioner shall publish the adjusted minimum wage rates no later than the first of October of each year to take effect on the following first day of January.

2. Existing wage orders. The minimum wage orders in effect on the effective date of this act shall remain in full force and effect, except as modified in accordance with the provisions of this article; provided, however, that the minimum wage order for farm workers codified at part one hundred ninety of title twelve of the New York code of rules and regulations in effect on January first, two thousand twenty shall be deemed to be a wage order established and adopted under this article and shall remain in full force and effect except as modified in accordance with the provisions of this article or article nineteen-A of this chapter.

Such minimum wage orders shall be modified by the commissioner to increase all monetary amounts specified therein in the same proportion as the increase in the hourly minimum wage as provided in subdivisions one, one-a, and one-b of this section, including the amounts specified in such minimum wage orders as allowances for gratuities, and when furnished by the employer to its employees, for meals, lodging, apparel and other such items, services and facilities. All amounts so modified shall be rounded off to the nearest five cents. The modified orders shall be promulgated by the commissioner without a public hearing, and without reference to a wage board, and shall become effective on the effective date of such increases in the minimum wage except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, notwithstanding any other provision of this article.

3. Non-profitmaking institutions.

(a) Application of article. This article shall apply to non-profitmaking institutions.

(b) Option available to non-profitmaking institutions. The provisions of any wage order issued under this article shall not apply, however, to any non-profitmaking institution which pays and continues to pay to each of its employees in every occupation a wage, exclusive of allowances, of not less than the minimum wage provided in subdivision one of this section provided that such institution had certified under oath to the commissioner, on or before September first, nineteen hundred sixty, that on or before October first, nineteen hundred sixty it would pay and thereafter intended to pay such wage to each of its employees in every occupation and provided further that all the provisions of this article have not become applicable to such institution by operation of paragraph (c) of this subdivision. If such institution was not organized or did not hire any employees as defined in subdivision five of section six hundred fifty-one of this chapter before September first, nineteen hundred sixty, such provisions shall not apply so long as, commencing six months after it was organized, or first employed such employees it paid and continues to pay such wage to each of its employees in every occupation, provided that such institution certified under oath within six months after it was organized or first employed such employees that it would pay and thereafter intended to pay such wage to each of its employees in every occupation and provided further that all the provisions of this article have not become applicable to such institution by operation of paragraph (c) of this subdivision.

(c) Termination of option. All the provisions of this article, including all of the provisions of any wage order issued thereunder which, but for the operation of paragraph (b) of this subdivision, would apply to any non-profitmaking institution, shall become fully applicable to such institution sixty days after such institution files a notice with the commissioner requesting that the provisions of such wage order apply to it, or immediately upon the issuance of an order by the commissioner finding that such institution has failed to pay the wages provided in paragraph (b) of this subdivision, but in no event shall any such order discharge the obligation of such institution to pay the wages provided by paragraph (b) of this subdivision for any period prior to the issuance of such order.

4. Notwithstanding subdivisions one, one-a, one-b, and two of this section, the wage for an employee who is a food service worker receiving tips shall be a cash wage of at least two-thirds of the minimum wage rates set forth in subdivision one of this section, rounded to the nearest five cents or seven dollars and fifty cents, whichever is higher, provided that the tips of such an employee, when added to such cash wage, are equal to or exceed the minimum wage in effect pursuant to subdivisions one, one-a, and one-b of this section and provided further that no other cash wage is established pursuant to section six hundred fifty-three of this article.

5. Notwithstanding subdivisions one, one-a, one-b, and two of this section, meal and lodging allowances for a food service worker receiving a cash wage pursuant to subdivision four of this section shall not increase more than two-thirds of the increase required by subdivision two of this section as applied to state wage orders in effect pursuant to subdivisions one, one-a, and one-b of this section.

6. Notwithstanding subdivision one of this section, and sections six hundred fifty-three and six hundred fifty-five of this article, on or after January first, two thousand nineteen, and each January first thereafter until such time as the minimum wage is fifteen dollars in all areas of the state, the division of budget shall conduct an analysis of the state of the economy in each region, and the effect of the minimum wage increases listed in this section, to determine whether there should be a temporary suspension or delay in any scheduled increases. In conducting its analysis, the division of budget shall consult the department, the department's division of research and statistics, the United States department of labor, the federal reserve bank of New York and other economic experts. The division of budget will reference wellestablished economic indexes and accepted economic factors, including those set forth in section six hundred fifty-four of this article, to justify and explain its decision. After reviewing such indexes and factors, the division shall determine whether scheduled increases in the minimum wage shall continue up to and including fifteen dollars. The division of budget will issue a report and recommendation to the commissioner, who shall take action on that report and recommendation pursuant to section six hundred fifty-six of this article.

N.Y. Lab. Law § 652

Amended by New York Laws 2023, ch. 56,Sec. S-3, eff. 5/3/2023.

Amended by New York Laws 2023, ch. 56,Sec. S-2, eff. 5/3/2023.

Amended by New York Laws 2023, ch. 56,Sec. S-1, eff. 5/3/2023.

Amended by New York Laws 2020, ch. 58,Sec. II-6, eff. 4/3/2020, op. 1/1/2020.

Amended by New York Laws 2016, ch. 54,Sec. K-1 to Sec. K-3, eff. 4/4/2016.

Amended by New York Laws 2013, ch. 57,Sec. P-1, eff. 3/29/2013.