While choosing a soboro bread at a local Korean bakery, I had a brief chat with the cashier about the recent news of the $30 hourly wage. I was surprised and asked if that was really true.

Being curious, I immediately looked it up when I got home, like a baby dinosaur rolling around a fruit it had never seen before.

First, let me summarize the facts. The name of the bill is $30 for Our City, and it was announced by Brooklyn Councilmember Sandy Nurse in front of City Hall on March 10 of this year.

Currently, the minimum wage in New York City is $17 per hour, effective January 1, 2026. So, $30 would be nearly double that amount.

The bill does not raise the wage all at once but rather in steps. Large companies with over 500 employees will see their wages increase to $20 in 2027, $23 in 2028, $26 in 2029, and finally $30 in 2030.

Smaller businesses will progress a bit more slowly. They will start at $19 in 2027, then $21.50 in 2028, $24 in 2029, $27 in 2030, $29 in 2031, and reach $30 in 2032.

One interesting point is that when counting the 500-employee threshold, franchise locations are considered together with their headquarters. This means that chain coffee shops may have to raise their wages before local small businesses.

There is also a provision for restaurant employees who receive tips. Starting in 2032, the base cash wage for tipped employees will increase by $1.50 each year until it matches the general minimum wage, at which point tip credits will no longer be allowed.

However, I was left wondering: if the city council passes this, is that the end of it?

The answer is no. New York State does not allow cities to set minimum wages higher than the state standard.

When New York City independently raised its minimum wage in 1964, the state's highest court ruled that local governments could not set their own minimum wages. This precedent, as old as a dinosaur fossil, is still in effect.

So, State Senator Jessica Ramos introduced bill S3952 in January 2025 to grant New York City the authority to set a higher minimum wage, but as of March this year, it has not yet passed. I have not seen any news indicating that the city council bill has been finalized either.

Mayor Mamdani campaigned on the slogan "30 by 30," promising a $30 minimum wage by 2030. However, reports indicate that he has not yet officially supported this city council bill.

There is also a state-level change coming. Starting in 2027, New York State's minimum wage will automatically increase each year based on the three-year average of the Northeast region's price index.

The amount for next year is expected to be announced in the fourth quarter of this year, so business owners should keep an eye on this. Regardless of what happens with the $30 bill, this path is already set.

Now, the most pressing question: what does this mean for our local Korean shops?

I thought about the places I frequently visit: nail salons, laundries, small snack shops, and side dish stores. Most of these are small businesses with only a few employees.

According to the bill, these businesses have until 2032 to adjust, but since labor costs are a significant part of their expenses, they will likely feel the impact with each increase.

Restaurants are more complicated. Opponents express concerns that menu prices will rise significantly, while supporters argue that rent and grocery prices cannot be sustained at $17.

I understand both sides. From a worker's perspective, surviving in New York on a weekly wage of just over $500 is incredibly precarious.

However, if local shops close down, those jobs will disappear too. Therefore, I believe that the real key to this bill is the differentiation in speed and scale.

If you are a business owner, what you can do now is relatively simple. First, check how many employees your shop has according to the bill's criteria.

Next, wait for the 2027 state minimum wage announcement and recalculate your labor costs for next year. If you run a restaurant with tipped employees, it would also be wise to consider scenarios beyond 2032.

If you are a worker, first check if your hourly wage is already above $17. If you are earning less than that, it's not a future issue but a current problem.

For the most accurate information on the bill's progress, it's best to check the city council's official website or the news. Be skeptical of claims circulating in group chats that it has already passed.

On my way back, I kept thinking about the face of that bakery cashier. Both the owner and the cashier are good people, but I wonder how much they can both smile together.

I prefer a gradual increase that keeps pace with inflation, allowing small businesses some breathing room, rather than a sudden jump to $30. Today, I feel like I've discovered a giant dinosaur footprint in the realm of minimum wage.