Albany, Jan 1 (AP) New York's minimum-wage workers had more than just the new year to celebrate on Monday, with a pay bump kicking in as the clock ticked over to 2024.

In the first of a series of annual increases slated for the Empire State, the minimum wage increased to USD 16 in New York City and some of its suburbs, up from USD 15. In the rest of the state, the new minimum wage is USD 15, up from USD 14.20.

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The state's minimum wage is expected to increase every year until it reaches USD 17 in New York City and its suburbs, and USD 16 in the rest of the state by 2026. Future hikes will be tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, a measurement of inflation.

New York is one of 22 states getting minimum wage rises in the new year, according to a recent report by the Economic Policy Institute.

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In California, the minimum wage increased to USD 16, up from USD 15.50, while in Connecticut it increased to USD 15.69 from the previous rate of USD 15.

This most recent pay bump in New York is part of an agreement made last year between Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature. The deal came over the objections of some employers, as well as some liberal Democrats who said it didn't go high enough.

The federal minimum wage in the United States has stayed at USD 7.25 per hour since 2009, but states and some localities are free to set higher amounts. Thirty states, including New Mexico and Washington, have done so. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)