Salary Range Requirement For NYC Job Ads Signed Into Law By Mayor

NEW YORK, NY — New Yorkers sifting through job openings soon won't have to guess what they will be paid under new salary disclosure requirements cemented into law this week.

Mayor Eric Adams signed legislation Thursday that requires a salary range be listed on all listings for New York City jobs, a move that lawmakers say will particularly help address gender and racial pay gaps.

"There is no question that identifying systemic race and gender pay inequities will become a lot easier once all the cards are on the table," said Brooklyn Councilmember Justin Brannan, one of the architects of the bill. "As people get back to work, I cannot think of a better time to level the playing field and restore some dignity to those seeking employment."

The bill signed Thursday is in fact an amendment to salary disclosure legislation passed by the City Council late last year, which would have put the new requirements in place in May.

Under the amended bill, the law takes effect in November, which lawmakers said will give employers and city agencies more time to prepare for the changes.

Thursday's bill also makes it so employers will not fined the first time they are found violating the law. Repeat offenders will still face penalties.

"We were not trying to be punitive — we were trying to change the mindset of those who were not listing the minimum and maximum salaries," Adams said. "This clarification makes sure the law works for both workers and employers."

But lawmakers did not heed employers' requests to add exceptions to the law, such as general "help wanted" signs or remote work, according to officials and reports.

All businesses with four or more employees will face the requirements, which apply to jobs with both hourly wages or an annual salary, according to the bill.

When first introducing the requirements, City Council research found that a white woman working full-time in New York City earns 84 cents for every dollar a white man earns. The gap is even bigger for women of color at 63 cents per dollar for an Asian woman, 55 cents for an African American woman and 46 cents for a Latina woman, according to the report.

Councilmember Nantasha Williams, another architect of the bill, said transparency on job listings will help bring more women to the table.

"Seeing the foundation to enable women to be at a space where they can truly compete with men means a lot to me," Williams said. "To all my women out there you deserve this moment."