“Across the state, 39.1% earn at least a living wage, with white employees (46%) faring significantly better than Black (29.7%) and Hispanic (26%) employees.”
Cornell matched Census wage data to MIT’s living wage calculator and found 61% of New York workers fall short. Among millennials and Gen Z, only 28.4% clear the bar. A single parent in Manhattan needs $43.18 an hour. Just 13.5% of cashiers and 8.3% of dishwashers earn a living wage, and the tourism economy runs on them.