Page 2 - Cheryla Mayforth News Today

Jan. 3. — “This year hasn’t been great so far.”

LOWVILLE — Supply chain challenges plaguing the nation have hit home locally, making a temporary production shut down and workforce layoff necessary at bowling pin manufacturer QubicaAMF.

WATERTOWN — Unemployment benefits in the state seem like an unspoken elephant in the room that business owners say has contributed heavily to a dip in employees. “Help Wanted” signs have been peppering the fronts of businesses across the north country in recent weeks, which is the result of not only the summer season approaching. While economic experts point to a number of factors — issues with childcare, for example — as the driver of it all, they believe some business...

On Wednesday, the state Department of Labor announced the planned increases to the minimum wage for workers in upstate New York, Long Island and Westchester County will be moving forward, despite calls to pause. In upstate New York, the minimum wage will increase by 70 cents on Dec. 31, from $11.80 per hour to $12.50. In Long Island and Westchester County, the minimum wage will increase by $1, from $13 per hour to $14 per hour. In New York City, employers with more than 10 employees had their m...