FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

March 8, 2016

CONTACT:
Brittney Fiorini Jerred
315-598-5185; cell: 315-806-0257

Local Business: Layoffs Would Be Certain if $15

Minimum Wage Passes Legislature
Small Businesses Descend on Albany to Oppose Gov.s Wage Mandate
Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski) today said that 64% of local business owners
surveyed said they would have to cut jobs if New York adopted the $15 minimum wage mandate.
Nearly 100 local business owners completed the survey. Respondents ranged from those
who employ a small staff to those who employ as many as 200 people. Out of those surveyed,
90.6% said they oppose the mandate.
Over and over again, business owners stated theyd have to increase prices, which would
make them less competitive. They said the price increase would erode their customer base which
would lead to more job layoffs. Others indicated they would automate where they could, cut
benefits, and hire more experienced workers over those employees without experience, which
would create fewer opportunities for our youth. Others noted they would close and move out of
New York. Farmers who responded said they feared this would make local produce more
expensive and threaten jobs in agriculture.
My deepest worries were confirmed when I read through the survey responses. The $15
minimum wage mandate would kill jobs and small businesses, make our state less competitive,
and increase costs for consumers. It has real potential to increase poverty, said Barclay. "This
is the complete, wrong direction of trying to help people in New York state and improve the
economy. This is just one more mandate that business owners would have to have to fight
against to try and be successful in New York."
The survey featured yes or no questions but also a place for business owners to write their
thoughts. Many took the time to write and share their concerns. Here are a few quotes from the
survey.

New York State cannot afford to put more people out of work via increase in minimum
wage. We need more industry and large companies to help our state grow. Increasing the
minimum wage will force small businesses to cut staff and thus decrease jobs
Another wrote: We would like to see programs that retain and encourage growth in NY
businesses. Wage increases will not accomplish this.
A shop owner wrote: I believe that the increase would result in more automation in big
box stores and a reduction in customer service across the board. I also suspect that it will lead to
business closings in New Yorkand more unemployment.
Barclay said he was pleased there were so many responses and thanked those who
responded.
I am pleased to have this valuable feedback, so I can share these viewpoints with my
colleagues in Albany. These responses are further evidence that a $15 minimum wage mandate
would hurt our region and cause us to lose jobs, said Barclay.
Barclay noted that the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) is hosting
its annual SMALL BUSINESS DAY in Albany today, where thousands of small businesses are
lobbying to oppose the governors $15 minimum wage mandate. Barclay said that its a good
sign to see legislators and the business community joining together to push back on this mandate,
since small businesses make up 98 percent of employers in New York State and a little over 50
percent of employees in New York State work for a small business.
###