Minimum wage will officially jump to $12.50 this week across Upstate

Minimum wage is officially increasing.
While the news isn’t new it will become a reality this week for business owners across the state.
Altogether regions in Upstate New York will see minimum wage jump 70 cents to $12.50.
The goal of the state, several years ago, was to move the state toward the $15-an-hour threshold. It’s unclear when, or if Upstate will reach that marker, but it has been increasing annually for the last several years.
According to a report from the New York State Department of Labor, the state achieved record-low unemployment levels before the pandemic.
Last year minimum wage jumped from $11.10 to $11.80. Business groups have said that with the pandemic already hurting struggling small businesses, this added pressure will result in even more lost jobs.