New York’s Delivery Workers Got a Big Raise. Did It Help?

‘The city’s own study made clear that the new rule eliminates jobs, discourages tipping, and forces couriers to go faster,’ an Uber spokesperson said.

A DoorDash courier rides his bike in the rain during the COVID-19 pandemic in Manhattan, New York on Nov. 13, 2020. Carlo Allegri/Reuters

Three months have passed since the New York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division upheld legislation enacted over the summer allowing enforcement of the nation’s first minimum pay rate for third-party, app-based restaurant delivery workers.

The ruling mandated that popular delivery platforms, including Uber, DoorDash, and Grubhub, pay their workers at least $17.96 per hour, increasing to $19.96 per hour when fully implemented in 2025, with annual adjustments for inflation.