New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's plan for a $30 an hour minimum wage could make it harder for Americans to access entry-level jobs by speeding up automation.

Mamdani, the 33-year-old state assemblyman and self-described democratic socialist, is campaigning on raising the city's minimum wage to $30 an hour by 2030 from its current level of $16.50 an hour.

The higher minimum wage could make it more economical for employers to replace lower-skilled workers in occupations like the service industry with automated tools like self-serve kiosks and ordering tablets.

States that have significantly increased their minimum wages above the national minimum of $7.25 have seen teen unemployment rise as employers opt against hiring less experienced workers at higher wage levels.

California raised its minimum wage to $16.50 and data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the unemployment rate for teen workers aged 16 to 19 was 21.2% in 2025 – well above the national average of 12.3%.

Fewer teens and entry-level workers being able to successfully find employment can cause them to miss out on opportunities to learn lessons about how to work that will benefit them later in their careers.

One Colorado small business owner told FOX Business that while her company provided many teens with their first jobs, it would be difficult to continue doing so with a significantly higher minimum wage because "paying a kid who's never worked $25 an hour is just too much money, and I think it's sad because they're going to miss out on these opportunities to learn."

Though Mamdani has made the $30 an hour minimum wage a part of his campaign platform, neither the New York City mayor nor the city council have the authority to enforce those changes, which are set by the New York State Department of Labor.