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The state Department of Labor has approved a minimum wage increase that'll boost the paychecks of Upstate New York workers.
Beginning December 31st, the minimum wage north of the New York City metro area will rise by 70 cents from the current $12.50 an hour to $13.20 an hour. The increase is part of a plan approved back in 2016 to phase-in a minimum wage of $ 15 an hour for all workers. That means the labor department must bump up minimum wage each year until it reaches that benchmark.