Number of Minimum Wage Earners Surges in New York

It's not easy living on minimum wage in New York state. That's especially true in New York City, long known as one of the most expensive cities in the nation and the world, where eking out a living on $7.25 an hour for many means a meager existence at best.

Making matters worse in the Empire State is that vastly more workers are earning just the minimum wage than existed just three years ago, The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription may be required). The number of minimum-wage earners swelled to about 91,000 last year, up from 6,000 in 2008, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.