NEW YORK, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The minimum wage will rise to 15 U.S. dollars an hour in New York City (NYC) on Dec. 31 and continue to go up across the state, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.

"With the historic increase in the minimum wage, New York continues to set a national example in the fight for economic justice," Cuomo said in a statement.

The move, an increase from the current bottom line of 12 dollars an hour, came as part of the minimum wage hikes established in the state's 2016-2017 budget.

The Big Apple has been a typical metropolis that has large living expenditures mainly due to high rent and labor costs.

For businesses with 11 or more employees, the lowest-paid workers must get 15 dollars for each hour they work on the last day of the year, according to the New York State Department of Labor.

Meanwhile, those hiring fewer than 11 workers are allowed to raise minimum hourly wages first to 13.5 dollars by the end of 2018, and then to gradually build up the lowest hourly pay to 15 dollars until Dec. 31, 2019.

The state-level Department of Labor will also hold a public education campaign to inform the larger community of workers of the minimum wage increase and measures they can take in case employers breach the new regulation.