The minimum wage in the US state of New York will be raised gradually to 15 dollars an hour under a plan signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday, according to dpa. The legislation comes the same day as a similar law was enacted in California. The changes will raise minimum wage in the two states to the highest level in the country and well above the federally mandated amount is 7.25 dollars an hour. The legislation in New York state, which aims to promote "economic justice and fairness to working families," will mandate hourly minimum wage in New York City, one of the most expensive cities in the United States, to be raised to 15 dollars by the end of 2019. In the rest of the state, wages will be raised to 12.50 dollars by the end of 2020, after which the Department of Labour will set a schedule to reach 15 dollars an hour. The new law will also allow full-time employees to take a 12-week paid family leave when they have a baby.
