State Lawmakers Explore Minimum Wage Increase: Report

Business groups and leading Republicans in the New York State Senate have resumed discussions around a possible minimum wage increase, a compromise that might include a “training wage” for less experienced workers, reported The Times-Union.

The compromise would include an increase in the current minimum wage of $7.25/hour to $8.75/hour, as was proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in this year's state budget.

And to soften the impact of the hike, legislators have proposed a timeline that would allow for a gradual phase-in of an increase, along with a training wage that would apply to youthful workers in the first few months of their employment, the paper reported.

Some business leaders support the wage hike, arguing it will grow consumer demand and over time help their bottom line. They also are pointing to a Michigan law that allows a training wage for the first 90 days of employment for workers under 20 years old.