VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: New York state raises the minimum wage for 2025
Lucy Vulgamore: As the year comes to a close, we enter a time to reflect on how to improve in the next one. New York state appears to be following suit in a move to help support workers across the state. Starting Jan. 1 2025, New York state will increase the minimum wage by a whole 50 cents. According to Syracuse.com, the increase means an extra twenty dollars for full-time earners working 40 hours a week. For many part-time student workers, this is a big deal. According to the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, an average of 70% to 80% of college students in the U.S. are working a job while working towards a degree.
Vulgamore: Charlotte Sforza is a senior who works at the on-campus pool at Syracuse University. Like many student workers, she’s working her job to support herself and her education. She’s looking forward to the upcoming increase.
Sforza: I pay a lot of dues regularly, and other things to keep up with my lifestyle. Not that I live a very like, expensive lifestyle, but like to afford to eat healthy and afford to literally like, pay rent monthly, be a part of different organizations. A lot of those cost money, so I think that would really benefit me in a lot of different ways.
Vulgamore: Over the past decade, the minimum wage in New York state has doubled, starting at $8 in 2014 to now $15.50 in 2025. Another 50 cent increase is already scheduled for 2026. With NCC News, I’m Lucy Vulgamore.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Starting Jan. 1 2025, New York state will increase the minimum wage by a 50 cents. According to Syracuse.com, the increase means an extra twenty dollars for full-time earners working 40 hours a week. For many part-time student workers, this is a big deal. According to the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, an average of 70% to 80% of college students in the U.S. are working a job while working towards a degree.
Charlotte Sforza is a senior who works at the on-campus pool at Syracuse University. Like many student workers, she’s working her job to support herself and her education. She’s looking forward to the upcoming increase.
“I pay a lot of dues regularly, and other things to keep up with my lifestyle,” said Sforza. “Not that I live a very expensive lifestyle, but to afford to eat healthy and afford to literally pay rent monthly, be a part of different organizations. A lot of those cost money, so I think that would really benefit me in a lot of different ways.”
Over the past decade, the minimum wage in New York state has doubled, starting at $8 in 2014 to now $15.50 in 2025. Another 50 cent increase is already scheduled for 2026.