Small business owners fear minimum wage increase is 'unsustainable'
With city officials rolling out a minimum wage increase, small business owners are expressing concern about making ends meet. Though the city says that when workers have enough money to put food on
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Dec 16, 2016, 5:52 AM
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Updated 2,726 days ago
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With city officials rolling out a minimum wage increase, small business owners are expressing concern about making ends meet.
Though the city says that when workers have enough money to put food on the table and pay their rent, it lifts the entire economy, many small business owners believe the wage hike is unsustainable.
Eli Amsel, owner of Lagmitz Paper and Plastic, told News 12 Brooklyn he may have to lay off several employees and cut their hours to afford the new minimum wage.
"This is total communism. This will not make businesses grow," he said.
Jose DeJesus is one of Amsel's 13 employees and said that he is looking forward to having more money.
Representatives from The Department of Consumer Affairs want to make sure small businesses know that they'll need to pay their employees $11 an hour by Dec. 31. By 2019, it will be $15 an hour.
