New York City announced a minimum wage for independent contractors who deliver for restaurant apps such as DoorDash and GrubHub — it starts at $17.76 in July and goes to $19.96 in April 2025 — but no one is happy, TechCrunch reported. Many say the amount is not nearly enough to cover the cost of living in New York, and the app-based firms warn of unintended consequences. Even New York City Comptroller Brad Lander criticized the law. “Delivery workers should be paid at least the minimum wage after expenses for every hour they work, including the time spent waiting for their next delivery,” Lander said in a statement. “Today’s watered-down rule fails to require that. Hidden under regulatory double-speak, the rule’s average base wage for a deliverista will be just $12.69 per hour after expenses this year, according to our office’s calculations.”