Perhaps more than any other American city, New York relies on a growing army of delivery workers who have braved successive waves of Covid, extreme weather and toxic air as remote work has reshaped the economy. Now, they’re getting a raise.
Starting July 12, New York City’s app-based delivery workers must be paid at least $17.96 an hour, not including tips — the first such minimum pay-rate in the country for an industry that exploded in popularity during the pandemic. The increase, which will go into effect nearly two years after the City Council passed a set of bills designed to improve conditions for the workers, was announced by Mayor Eric Adams over the weekend.