“The decision by unelected bureaucrats on the wage board to raise the minimum wage for fast food businesses adversely affects young people looking for work and seeking to gain experience at a first job. As someone who owns and operates a small business, I can say first-hand that this will make it irresponsible for these employers to hire teenagers. The labor costs will now be too high to justify spending on first-time employees who may not be reliable, or may take too long to train. Our state shouldn’t be striving to have adults take on the responsibilities of those just entering the workforce; we should be striving to bring in young people and give them the skills they will need for future success. This decision makes New York a less desirable place to maintain a business, and it also damages our future.”

Assemblyman DiPietro is the Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Committee on Small Business, and has owned and operated his own small business for over two decades.