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Living Wage Law
Living Wage Law
Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act
New York City enacted The Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, also known as the Living Wage Law, on June 28, 2012. The Living Wage Law requires certain employers that receive at least $1 million of financial assistance from the City or a City economic development entity to pay no less than the living wage to their employees at the project site, unless the employer qualifies for certain exemptions.
On September 30, 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Executive Order No. 7, which broadened the scope, applicability and impact of the Living Wage Law by, among other things, increasing the living wage rate and specifying "additional covered employers" that are required to pay a living wage to their project-site employees.
Effective September 30, 2014, the Executive Order increased the original living wage rate to $11.50 per hour with health benefits, or $13.13 without health benefits.
New Living Wage Rate Announcement for the Executive Order
The living wage rate is adjusted annually, based upon the Consumer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor.
As of April 1, 2022, the following living wage rate and health benefit supplement apply:
Living Wage Rate: $15.00.
Health Benefit Supplement: $2.05
As of April 1, 2023, the following living wage rate and health benefit supplement apply:
Living Wage Rate: $15.00.
Health Benefit Supplement: $2.15
PLEASE NOTE: As of December 31, 2018, the New York State Minimum Wage exceeds the Living Wage Rate. Accordingly, the applicable Minimum Wage is set as the Living Wage Rate.
Please note that the rates indicated above do not apply to projects subject to the Living Wage Law that were authorized prior to September 30, 2014 or any financial assistance awarded prior to September 30, 2014. These older projects, which were exempted from the Executive Order, are obligated to continue paying the original living wage rate, which is updated by the Comptroller. Please visit the Comptroller's website for more information.